Joints You Should Know
TALOCRURAL The technical term
for the ankle joint, which is the point
where the tibia, fibula, and talus meet
TRANSVERSE TARSAL JOINT
Where the talus, calcaneus, navicular, and
cuboid bones meet
SUBTALAR JOINT Where the talus and
PHOTO: JOE HANCOCK; ILLUSTRATION: MICHELE GRAHAM calcaneus meet
BODY OF KNOWLEDGE:
ANATOMY OF THE ANKLE
The ankle has six different movements available to it:
1 Dorsiflexion: the top of the foot moves toward the knee
2 Plantar flexion: the sole of the foot moves toward the calf
3 Eversion: the outside of the ankle moves toward your hip
4 Inversion: the inside of your ankle moves toward your groin
5 Abduction: a movement at the ankle causing the toes to move away from the body
6 Adduction: a movement at the ankle resulting in the toes moving in toward the midline
Fun fact: When you combine dorsiflexion, eversion, and abduction, your foot pronates;
when you combine plantar flexion, inversion, and adduction, your foot supinates.It’s helpful to know the key bones and joints of the lower leg and foot to
better understand how the ankle moves:Bones you should know
TIBIA (SHIN BONE) The larger of the two bones that make up the lower leg
FIBULA The thinner, smaller bone on the outside of the lower leg
CALCANEUS The heel bone
TA LU S A wedge-shaped bone of the ankle joint that is located between the
heel bone and the fibula and tibia; it forges a connection between the leg and
the foot, aiding in ankle movements and helping maintain balance when weight
is transferred from the ankle to the leg
METATARSALS A set of five long bones in the mid-foot that connect the ankle to the toes
TARSALS A set of seven hind- and mid-foot bones that exist to help bear weight;
two of the most notable tarsals are the navicular and cuboid bones
NAVICULAR A boat-shaped bone on the inner foot that creates the foot’s arch and assists
with weight distribution
CUBOID A cube-shaped bone that connects and provides stability to the outer foot
and ankleNAVICULARCUBOIDTARSALSMETATARSALS[ TOP VIEW ]