Measurement and Analysis of Calcaneus Morphometric Parameters from Computed Tomography Images

This study presents a measurement of the morphology parameters on three-dimensional calcaneus and finds out their correlation with age and body mass index. We included 49 males and 50 females healthy calcaneus as subjects, aged 21-58 years. 3D model of calcaneus was reconstructed directly from computed tomography images by reverse engineering technique. Thirteen linear distances and four angular parameters were measured with two different tools, computer-assisted measurement, and digital vernier scale device. T-tests and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to evaluate parameters relationships. Statistical result presented that significant differences between male and female calcaneal morphologic value found except for beta and alpha angles. LAL, CFH, MXB, DAFL, theta, beta, and gamma angles show a strong correlation. There was also a significant correlation between age with MAXL, CBL and gamma angle. The p-value in the comparison between computer-assisted and manual measurement for each parameter was less than 0.05, indicating that computer-assisted measurement is an effective method for evaluating the calcaneus morphology parameters.