Statistical shape modeling of mean shape and principal variability of the human talar bone in the Chinese population

Purpose The talar bone plays a crucial role in ankle biomechanics and stability. Understanding the shape variability of the talar bone within specific populations is essential for various clinical applications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mean shape and principal variability of the human talar bone in the Chinese population using statistical shape modeling (SSM). Methods CT scans of 214 tali were included to create SSM models. Principal component analysis was used to describe shape variation among the male, female, and overall groups. Results The largest amount of variation among three groups ranges from 17.2%–18.8% of each variation. The first seven principal components (modes) captured 62.4%–67.5% of the cumulative variance. No dominant shape of the talus was found. Male tali generally have a larger size than the female tali, with the exception of the articular surface of the anterior subtalar joint. Conclusions SSM is an effective method of finding mean shape and principal variability. Considerable variabilities were noticed among these three groups and all principal modes of variation. No dominant talar model was found to represent the majority of tali, regardless the gender. Such information is crucial to improve the current understanding of talar pathologies and their treatment strategies.