Ball-and-socket ankle joint.

The ball-and-socket ankle joint is a malformation of the ankle in which the articular surface of the talus is hemispherical in both the anteroposterior and lateral projections and has a congruent, concave tibial articular surface. Fourteen patients with this condition were identified retrospectively. Thirteen patients were thought to have the congenital type of ball-and-socket ankle joint which in many was associated with tarsal coalition, short limb, and ray fusion and deletion anomalies. One case of the acquired type, demonstrating less geometric rounding of the talar margins, was seen in a patient with myelomeningocele, probably resulting from sensory and motor deficits. Although the exact etiology of the congenital type is unknown, its association with other malformations suggests that the ball-and-socket ankle joint results from an overall maldevelopment of the ankle and foot.