The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 59, Issue 3 321-324, Copyright © 1977 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Instability of the subtalar joint. Diagnosis by stress tomography in three cases
JW Brantigan, LR Pedegana and FG Lippert
Lateral instability in the subtalar joint was documented by a method of
stress tomography in three patients. The subtalar inversion angle averaged
38 degrees +/- S.D. 6 degrees in asymptomatic feet and 57 degrees +/- S.D.
5 degrees in those with unstable subtalar joints . Review of the literature
suggests that as many as 10 per cent of patients having the Watson-Jones
procedure for abnormal talar tilt also have instability in the subtalar
joint. It is felt that the subtalar joint should be evaluated in patients
seen with the clinical symptom of lateral instability.