The calcaneal pitch is an angle used mainly in the diagnosis and severity grading of

flat feet Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. Sometimes children are born ...

and

pes cavus Pes cavus, also known as high arch, is a human foot type in which the sole of the foot is distinctly hollow when bearing weight. That is, there is a fixed plantar flexion of the foot. A high arch is the opposite of a flat foot and is somewha ...

Measurement

Calcaneal pitch is an angle of the

calcaneus In humans and many other primates, the calcaneus (; from the Latin ''calcaneus'' or ''calcaneum'', meaning heel) or heel bone is a bone of the tarsus of the foot which constitutes the heel. In some other animals, it is the point of the hock. ...

and the inferior aspect of the foot, with different sources giving different reference points. The first line making up the angle is defined as either: *The ''calcaneal inclination axis'', extending from the

by the inferior portion of the calcaneocuboid joint to the inferior border of the calcaneus. *Tangential to the inferior distal border of the calcaneus. The second line is defined as extending from either of the two above to either of the following: *The inferior border of the head of the fifth metatarsal bone. *The inferior aspect of the medial

sesamoid bone In anatomy, a sesamoid bone () is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for 'sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be prese ...

. *Parallel to the ground.

Interpretation

Calcaneal pitch is increased in pes cavus, with cutoffs ranging from 20° to 32°. Last modified: 2016/08/14 A calcaneal pitch of less than 17° or 18° indicates flat feet. Last modified: 2016/08/14

References

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