Calcaneal Sulcus Of The Calcaneus, Superior View

Description

Calcaneal sulcus on the superior surface of the calcaneus lies between the posterior talar articular facet posteriorly and the middle talar articular facet anteromedially, forming a deep groove that trends obliquely toward the lateral side of the hindfoot. Lateral to the sulcus, the posterior facet dominates the subtalar contact area, while the medial margin approaches the sustentaculum tali and the middle facet. Anteriorly, the groove continues into the region commonly described clinically as the sinus tarsi, where the calcaneus and talus create a tunnel-like interval. Bone texture and facet boundaries are sharply differentiated. This is the key interval for subtalar stability. The calcaneal sulcus and the opposing sulcus tali of the talus together form the sinus tarsi and canalis tarsi, the site of the interosseous talocalcaneal ligament and cervical ligament, structures often assessed when evaluating chronic lateral hindfoot pain, sinus tarsi syndrome, or subtalar instability after inversion injury. Surgical planning benefits from the fixed superior perspective because it clarifies the separation of the posterior and middle facets, a relationship that is frequently altered in talocalcaneal coalition or in displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures that flatten the posterior facet and distort the sulcus. A tight space. Use this illustration in gross anatomy and orthopaedics teaching when introducing the subtalar joint, sinus tarsi anatomy, and the articular morphology of the hindfoot, and in radiology or surgical texts to correlate with CT reconstructions used for calcaneal fracture classification and subtalar arthroscopy orientation. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.