In addition to the ankle joint, which is discussed in a separate video, the joints of the foot include several more groups: the joints of the tarsal bones, the joints between the tarsal and metatarsal bones, and the joints of the phalanges.

Let’s learn about the joints of the tarsus. The subtalar joint (articulatio subtalaris)

The bones forming the joint are the talus (talus) and calcaneus (calcaneus).

The articular surfaces involved in the formation of the joint are the posterior calcaneal articular surface of the talus (facies articularis calcanea posterior) and the posterior talar articular surface of the calcaneus (facies articularis talaris posterior).

The articular capsule is attached at the edges of the articular surfaces, as well as to the bottom and roof of the socalled tarsal sinus (sinus tarsi). It is a small space between the talus and calcaneus, located in front of the talus joint.

According to the classification, the joint is cylindrical, uniaxial, simple, and combined with the talocalcaneonavicular joint (articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis) and the calcaneocuboid joint (articulatio calcaneocuboidea).

Accordingly, these joints function together as a single functional unit. Their mobility is quite poor, but some extent of motions still takes place. Namely, pronation and supination, abduction and adduction, flexion extension.

The fixing apparatus of the joint is composed of several ligaments:

• The lateral talocalcaneal ligament (ligamentum talocalcaneum laterale)

  

  

• The medial talocalcaneal ligament (ligamentum talocalcaneum mediale)

  

• The posterior talocalcaneal ligament (ligamentum talocalcaneum posterius)

  

• The talocalcaneal interosseous ligament (ligamentum talocalcaneum interosseum)

  

  The latter is located in the tarsal sinus, connects the surfaces of the grooves of the calcaneal and talus bones facing each other.

  The following vessels and nerves take part in the blood supply and innervation of the joint.

• Arteries: posterior tibial artery, fibular artery

• Nerves: plantar part — medial and lateral plantar nerves, dorsal part — deep fibular nerve

  The talocalcaneonavicular joint (articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis)

  

  

  

  

  The bones forming the joint are the talus (talus), calcaneus (calcaneus) and navicular bone (os naviculare).

  The articular surfaces involved in the formation of the joint are the navicular articular surface (facies articularis navicularis), the anterior calcaneal articular surface of the talus (facies articularis calcanea anterior), the middle calcaneal articular surface of the talus (facies articularis calcanea media), the anterior talar articular surface of the calcaneus (facies articularis talaris anterior), the middle talar articular surface of the calcaneus (facies articularis talaris media), and the posterior articular surface of the navicular bone (facies articularis posterior).

  

  

  The joint capsule is attached along the edges of the articular surfaces.

  According to the classification, the joint is ball and socket type, uniaxial, combined (with the subtalar joint (articulatio subtalaris) and the calcaneocuboid joint (articulatio calcaneocuboidea).

  The ligamentous apparatus of the joint consists of several ligaments.

• The talocalcaneal interosseous ligament (ligamentum talocalcaneum interosseum)

  

• The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament (ligamentum calcaneonaviculare plantare)

  

  

  

  

• The talonavicular ligament (ligamentum talonaviculare)

  

  

  

  

  The following vessels and nerves take part in the blood supply and innervation of the joint.

• Arteries: articular branches of the deep tibial and fibular arteries

• Nerves: medial plantar nerve, deep fibular nerve

  The transverse tarsal joint (articulatio tarsi transversa) or the Chopart joint

  

  

  It is formed by two separate joints: the calcaneocuboid (articulatio calcaneocuboidea) and talonavicular joints. The latter is essentially part of the talocalcaneonavicular joint (articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis). The articular cavities of these two joints form an S-shaped line running across the long axis of the foot.

  Let’s learn about the calcaneocuboid joint (articulatio calcaneocuboidea).

  

  

  The bones forming the joint are the calcaneus bone (calcaneus) and the cuboid bone (os cuboideum).

  The articular surfaces involved in the formation of the joint are the cuboid articular surface of the calcaneus (facies articularis cuboidea) and the posterior articular surface of the cuboid bone (facies articularis posterior).

  

  The articular capsule is thick on the medial side, and thinner and looser on the lateral side.

  

  The articular cavity is usually isolated from other joints, sometimes it communicates with the cavity of the talocalcaneonavicular joint (articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis).

  According to the classification, the joint is saddle-shaped, uniaxial, and combined (with the subtalar joint (articulatio subtalaris) and with the talocalcaneonavicular joint (articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis).

  Almost no motions take place in this joint.

  The fixing apparatus of the joint is composed of several ligaments:

• The plantar calcaneocuboid ligament (ligamentum calcaneocuboideum plantare)

  

• The long plantar ligament (ligamentum plantare longum) is the strongest ligament of the foot, which arises from the lower surface of the calcaneus and inserts into the bases of the 2nd-5th metatarsals. By rolling over the cuboid bone through the groove of the fibular muscle tendon, it turns this groove into a channel.

  

  

  

  

• The bifurcate ligament (ligamentum bifurcatum) arises from the superior border of the calcaneus and divides into two bundles, or two independent ligaments:

  

  

  

  

• The calcaneonavicular ligament (ligamentum calcaneonaviculare) inserts into the posterolateral edge of the navicular bone

  

  

  

  

• The calcaneocuboid ligament (ligamentum calcaneocuboideum) inserts into the dorsal surface of the cuboid bone.

  

  

  

  

  The bifurcate ligament is called the key of the Chopart joint, since when it is dissected, the transverse joint of the tarsus is easily dismembered.

  The following vessels and nerves take part in the blood supply and innervation of the joint.

• Arteries: lateral tarsal artery

• Nerves: deep fibular nerve, sural nerve, lateral plantar nerve

  The talonavicular joint (articulatio talonaviculare) is part of the transverse tarsal joint.

  

  The bones forming the joint are the talus (talus) and navicular bone (os naviculare).

  The articular surfaces forming the joint are the articular surface on the head of the talus (caput tali) and the proximal articular surface of the navicular bone (facies articularis proximalis).

  According to the classification, this is a ball and socket joint.

  The cuneonavicular joint (articulatio cuneonavicularis)

  

  

  

  The bones forming the joint are the medial cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme mediale), the intermediate cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme intermedium), the lateral cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme laterale) and the navicular bone (os naviculare).

  The articular surfaces forming joint are the posterior articular surfaces of the cuneiform bones (facies articularis posterior) and the distal articular surface of the navicular bone (facies articularis distalis)

  The joint capsule is attached along the edge of the articular cartilages.

  The articular gap continues between the cuneiform bones, sometimes communicating with the cavity of the tarsometatarsal joints.

  According to the classification, the joint is plane.

  Almost no motions take place in this joint.

  The fixing apparatus of the joint is composed of several ligaments:

• The dorsal cuneonavicular ligament (ligamenta cuneonavicularia dorsalia)

  

  

  

  

• The plantar cuneonavicular ligaments (ligamenta cuneonavicularia plantaria)

  

• The intercuneiform interosseous ligaments (ligamenta intercuneiformia interossea)

  

• The dorsal intercuneiform ligament (ligamenta intercuneiformia dorsalia)

  

  

• The plantar intercuneiform ligaments (ligamenta intercuneiformia plantaria)

  

  The cuboideonavicular joint (articulatio cuboideonavicularis).

  The bones forming the joint are the cuboid bone (os cuboideum) and the navicular bone (os naviculare).

  The ligamentous apparatus of the joint consists of the plantar cuboideonavicular ligament (ligamentum cuboideonaviculare plantare) and the dorsal cuboideonavicular ligament (ligamentum cuboideonaviculare dorsale).

  

  

  Almost no motions take place in this joint.

  And the last joints of the tarsus are the intercuneiform joints (articulationes intercuneiformes) and the cuneocuboid joint (articulatio cuneocuboidea).

  

  The bones forming these joints are the medial cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme mediale), the intermediate cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme intermedium), the lateral cuneiform bone (os cuneiforme laterale) and the cuboid bone (os cuboideum).

  The fixing apparatus of the joint is composed of several ligaments:

• The dorsal intercuneiform ligament (ligamenta intercuneiformia dorsalia)

  

  

• The plantar intercuneiform ligaments (ligamenta intercuneiformia plantaria)

  

• The intercuneiform interosseous ligaments (ligamenta intercuneiformia interossea)

  

• The dorsal cuneocuboid ligament (ligamenta cuneocuboideum dorsale)

• The plantar cuneocuboid ligament (ligamenta cuneocuboideum plantare)

Dictionary

Joint of the foot

Talocalcaneal joint

articulatio subtalaris

Talus

talus

Calcaneus

calcaneus

Navicular bone

os naviculare

Cuboid bone

os cuboidea

Posterior calcaneal articular facet of the talus

facies articularis calcanea posterior

Posterior talar articular surface of the talus

facies articularis talaris posterior

Tarsal sinus

sinus tarsi

Talocalcaneonavicular joint

articulatio talocalcaneonaviculari

Calcaneocuboid joint

articulatio calcaneocuboidea

Lateral talocalcaneal ligament

ligamentum talocalcaneum laterale

Medial talocalcaneal ligament

ligamentum talocalcaneum mediale

Posterior talocalcaneal ligament

ligamentum talocalcaneum posterius

Talocalcaneal interosseous ligament

ligamentum talocalcaneum interosseum

Navicular articular surface

facies articularis navicularis

Anterior calcaneal articular facet of the talus

facies articularis calcanea anterior

Middle calcaneal articular facet of the talus

facies articularis calcanea media

Anterior talar articular surface of the talus

facies articularis talaris anterior

Middle talar articular surface of the talus

facies articularis talaris media

Posterior articular facet of the navicular bone

facies articularis posterior

Talocalcaneal joint

articulatio subtalaris

Plantar calcaneonavicular ligament

ligamentum calcaneonaviculare plantare

Talonavicular ligament

ligamentum talonaviculare

Transverse tarsal joint

articulatio tarsi transversa

Talocalcaneonavicular joint

articulatio talocalcaneonavicularis

Plantar calcaneocuboid ligament

ligamentum calcaneocuboideum plantare

Long plantar ligament

ligamentum plantare longum

Bifurcate ligament

ligamentum bifurcatum

Calcaneonavicular ligament

ligamentum calcaneonaviculare

Calcaneocuboid ligament

ligamentum calcaneocuboideum

Talonavicular joint

articulatio talonaviculare

Articular surface on the head of the talus

caput tali

Proximal articular facet of the navicular bone

facies articularis proximalis

Cuneonavicular joint

articulatio cuneonavicularis

Medial cuneiform bone

os cuneiforme mediale

Intermediate cuneiform bone

os cuneiforme intermedium

Lateral cuneiform bone

os cuneiforme laterale

Distal articular facet of the navicular bone

facies articularis distalis

Dorsal cuneonavicular ligament

ligamenta cuneonavicularia dorsalia

Plantar cuneonavicular ligaments

ligamenta cuneonavicularia plantaria

Intercuneiform interosseous ligaments

ligamenta intercuneiformia interossea

Dorsal intercuneiform ligament

ligamenta intercuneiformia dorsalia

Plantar intercuneiform ligaments

ligamenta intercuneiformia plantaria

Cuboideonavicular joint

articulatio cuboideonavicularis

Plantar cuboideonavicular ligament

ligamentum cuboideonaviculare plantare

Dorsal cuboideonavicular ligament

ligamentum cuboideonaviculare dorsale

Intercuneiform joints

articulationes intercuneiformes

Cuneocuboid joint

articulatio cuneocuboidea

Intercuneiform interosseous ligaments

ligamenta intercuneiformia interossea

Dorsal cuneocuboid ligament

ligamenta cuneocuboideum dorsale

Plantar cuneocuboid ligament

ligamenta cuneocuboideum plantare