RT Journal Article
T1 Ontogenic transformation of the ankle from the initial mediolateral arrangement of the calcaneus and talus: A histological study of human embryos and early fetuses
A1 Kim, Ji Hyun
A1 Ishizuka, Satoshi
A1 Kitamura, Kei
A1 Murakami, Gen
A1 Rodríguez Vázquez, José Francisco
A1 Abe, Shinichi
A1 Kasahara, Masataka
AB The human calcaneus is robust and provides a prominent heel for effective bipedal locomotion, although the adjacent talus has no muscle attachments. However, there is incomplete information about the morphological changes in these prominent bones during embryo development. We examined serial histological sections of 23 human embryos and early‐term fetuses (approximately 5–10 weeks' gestational age [GA]). At a GA of 5 weeks, the precartilage talus was parallel to and on the medial side of the calcaneus, which had a prolate spheroid shape and consisted of three masses. At a GA of 6 weeks, the cartilaginous talus extended along the proximodistal axis, and the tuber calcanei became long and bulky, with a small sustentaculum talus at the “distal” side. At a GA of 6 to 8 weeks, the sustentaculum had a medial extension below the talus so that the talus “rode over” the calcaneus. In contrast, the talus had a more complex shape, depending on the growth of adjacent bones. At a GA of 9 to 10 weeks, the talus was above the calcaneus, but the medial part still faced the plantar subcutaneous tissue because of the relatively small sustentaculum. Therefore, the final morphology appeared after an additional several weeks. Muscle activity seemed to facilitate growth of the tuber calcanei, but growth of the other parts of calcaneus, including the sustentaculum, seemed to depend on active proliferation at the different sites of cartilage. Multiple tendons and ligaments seemed to fix the talus so that it remained close to the calcaneus.
PB Wiley
SN 0021-8782
SN 1469-7580
YR 2024
FD 2024-07-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/108002
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/108002
LA eng
NO Kim JH, Ishizuka S, Kitamura K, Murakami G, Rodríguez-Vázquez JF, Abe SI, Kasahara M. Ontogenic transformation of the ankle from the initial mediolateral arrangement of the calcaneus and talus: A histological study of human embryos and early fetuses. J Anat. 2024 Sep;245(3):392-404. doi: 10.1111/joa.14039. Epub 2024 Jul 20. PMID: 39032027; PMCID: PMC11306779.
DS Docta Complutense
RD 17 dic 2025