Remodelling of bone occurs in response to physical stress. Habitual
squatting is associated with
modifications of the neck of the talus (squatting facets) and its
trochlear/malleolar surfaces (trochlear
extensions), and individual populations exhibit different incidences of
these modifications that reflect their
lifestyle. The occurrence of talar modifications was therefore investigated
in a population of late Byzantine
(13th century AD) adult male skeletons. Lateral squatting facets occurred
most frequently (37.7%), but
medial (0.6%), combined (0.6%) and continuous (gutter-like) facets
(0.6%) were also observed. Lateral
(8.0%), medial (10.9%) and continuous (lateral/central/medial)
extensions (4.6%) of the trochlear surface
were all present in the late Byzantine population. There was no evidence
of side dimorphism. The
occurrence of lateral squatting facets in the late Byzantine population
was greater than that reported for
modern Europeans, but similar to that reported for some populations of
modern Indians. The frequency of
occurrence of trochlear extensions in the late Byzantine population was
substantially less than in modern
Indian populations, but similar to modern Europeans. Therefore, it is
unlikely that precisely the same
factors determine the expression of squatting facets and trochlear extensions.