Basic Foot and Ankle Anatomy - Bones and Ligaments
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Description[edit | edit source]
Ankle and foot injuries are fairly common not only with the athletes or as a result of sporting activities, but they occur during routine daily activities. The typical injuries include sprains, fractures, tears, and inflammation. Good knowledge of the foot and ankle anatomy is necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment.
The ankle is formed by three bones: talus, tibia and fibula. The anatomic structure of the foot consists of hindfoot, midfoot and forefoot, each composed of several bones.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Ankle Bones[edit | edit source]
The ankle is the junction of the lower leg and the foot. The osseous components of the ankle joint include the distal tibia, distal fibula, and talus.
The articular facet of the lateral malleolus (bony prominence on the lower fibula) forms the lateral border of the ankle joint. The articular facet of the medial malleolus (bony prominence on the lower tibia) forms the medial border of the joint. The superior portion of the ankle joint forms from the inferior articular surface of the tibia and the superior margin of the talus.
Foot bones[edit | edit source]
Hindfoot, the most posterior aspect of the foot, is composed of the talus and calcaneus, two of the seven tarsal bones. The midfoot is made up of five of the seven tarsal bones: navicular, cuboid, and medial, middle, and lateral cuneiforms. The forefoot is the most anterior aspect of the foot. It includes metatarsals, phalanges (toes), and sesamoid bones. There are a metatarsal and three phalanges for each digit apart from the great toe, which only has two phalanges.
Function[edit | edit source]
The foot and ankle provide various important functions which include bodyweight support, balance maintenance, shock absorption, response to ground reaction forces, or substitution for hand function in individuals with upper extremity amputation.[1]It has an important role in gait and posture therefore its malalignment can cause problems eg., back pain or mobility limitations.[2][3]
Articulations[edit | edit source]
Muscle attachments[edit | edit source]
Watch this short video on ankle and foot palpation
Vascular Supply[edit | edit source]
Nerve Supply[edit | edit source]
Clinical relevance[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Houglum PA, Bertotti DB. Brunnstrom's clinical kinesiology. FA Davis; 2012
- ↑ Menz HB, Dufour AB, Riskowski JL, Hillstrom HJ, Hannan MT. Foot posture, foot function and low back pain: the Framingham Foot Study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2013 Dec;52(12):2275-82.
- ↑ Menz HB, Dufour AB, Katz P, Hannan MT. Foot Pain and Pronated Foot Type Are Associated with Self-Reported Mobility Limitations in Older Adults: The Framingham Foot Study. Gerontology. 2016;62(3):289-95.
- ↑ Ankle and foot palpation. 2012 Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJRemQbNPhk [last accessed 18/12/2021]
