Clinical characterization of patients with tarsal coalitions. 12 years of experience in a high complexity hospital.

Background: Tarsal coalitions are aberrant unions of two or more tarsal bones which may condition variable foot and ankle conditions. Their incidence is also variable but most frequently diagnosed coalitions are talocalcaneal and calcaneonavicular. This article aims to evaluate clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with tarsal coalitions.

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study of patients with tarsal coalitions from August 2007 to January 2020 in a private University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. Data on age, sex, type of coalition according to anatomical location and tissue type, laterality and hindfoot condition and symptoms were obtained and analyzed.

Results: Of the 57 patients identified (80 feet), there were 31 males (54.4%) and 26 females (45.6%). Average age was 36.9 years. The total number of coalitions was 85. There were 48 bilateral coalitions (56,5%). Fifty-two talocalcaneal coalitions (TCC) (61.2%), 32 calcaneonavicular coalitions (CNC) (37.6%) and 1 calcaneocuboid coalition (1.2%) were registered. Our series showed 36 osseous coalitions (42.4%) and 49 fibrocartilaginous coalitions (57.6%). When evaluated separately, 35 of the TCC were osseous (67.3%) and 17 were fibrocartilaginous (32.7%); 1 of the CNC was osseous (3.1%) and 31 were fibrocartilaginous (96.9%).

Discussion: In our review, TCC was the most frequent subtype, with the majority being the bony in nature. In the distribution according to sex, a higher incidence of males is found within the CCN group (Fisher's Exact test, P=.032). Some of the results obtained are different from what was previously reported in the literature, which gives rise to new studies that explain this difference in our population.