Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Feger J, Knipe H, Talar shift. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 25 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-96254
Talar shift is a concept, sign and/or measurement describing a displacement of the talus in relation to the articular surface of the distal tibia and the malleolar end segment. The direction of the talar shift is further described in the medical literature and lateral talar shift receives the most attention.
The concept of talar shift can be used in the setting of ankle injuries as an indicator of ankle instability.
The lateral talar shift is assessed on the mortise view of the ankle 1-3.
The concept is that a lateral talar shift of ≥1 mm results in a significant decline of the tibiotalar contact surface area of ≥40% indicating ankle instability and this has an effect on the management 1-4. Lateral talar shift is closely associated with an increase in the medial clear space 3.
History and etymology
The concept of lateral talar shift was described by Paul L Ramsey and William Hamilton in 1976 1,2.
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1. Lloyd J, Elsayed S, Hariharan K, Tanaka H. Revisiting the concept of talar shift in ankle fractures. Foot Ankle Int. 2006;27(10):793-6. doi: 10.1177/107110070602701006 - Pubmed
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2. Ramsey PL, Hamilton W. Changes in tibiotalar area of contact caused by lateral talar shift. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1976;58(3):356-7. Pubmed
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3. Michelson JD. Ankle fractures resulting from rotational injuries. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2003;11(6):403-12. doi: 10.5435/00124635-200311000-00004 - Pubmed
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4. Mittal R, Drynan D, Harris IA, Naylor JM. Surgical versus non-surgical management of type B ankle fractures with minimal talar shift in adults: a systematic review. ANZ J Surg. 2018;88(11):1123-1128. doi: 10.1111/ans.14445 - Pubmed
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5. Sommer C, Nork SE, Graves M, Blauth M, Rudin M, Stoffel K. Quality of fracture reduction assessed by radiological parameters and its influence on functional results in patients with pilon fractures-A prospective multicentre study. Injury. 2017;48(12):2853-2863. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2017.10.031 - Pubmed
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