Spring Ligament

Original Editor - User Name Top Contributors - Lilian Ashraf, Priyanka Chugh and George Prudden

Description

The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament also referred to as spring ligament is a thick wide band of cartilaginous connective tissue that supports the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, failure in the spring ligament leads to flat foot deformity. The spring ligament despite its name does not possess spring like properties as it is highly collagenous

Attachment

The spring ligament fills the gap between the calcaneus and the navicular bone, it attaches from the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneus to the medial-plantar surface of the navicular.

The spring ligament is supported medially by the superficial deltoid ligament, posteriorly by the posterior tibial tendon and laterally by the bifurcate ligament.

Function

The spring ligament is an important static restraint of the medial longitudinal arch, it supports the head of the talus from depressing against the body weight during standing.

Clinical relevance

The posterior tibial tendon is the main dynamic stabilizer of the medial longitutnal arch, functional loss of the posterior tibial tendon increases the stresses on the medial soft tissue structures of the foot including the spring ligament, which could result in their weakening leading to the development of acquired flat foot deformity.

Although posterior tibial tendon dysfunction is the main cause of flat foot deformity, It should be noted that flat foot deformity can’t result from the failure of the posterior tibial tendon alone, the medial soft tissue structures must also fail to develop the deformity.

Acute injury could result in traumatic rupture of the spring ligament resulting in flat foot deformity.