Ankle and Foot

[Continued from above] . . . the tarsus (the seven ankle bones). The distant heads of these bones form the ball of the foot. The tarsals and metatarsals are arranged and bound by ligaments toform the arches of the foot. A tarsometataral ligament joins the tarsus to the metatarsal bone. A longitudinal arch extends from the posterior longitudinal ligament at the heel to the anterior longitudinal ligament of the toe, and a transverse arch (dorsal metatarsal ligament) stretches across the foot. These arches provide a stable, spring base for the body. At times, the tissues that bind the metatarsal become weakened and produce fallen arches or flat feet.

The plantar ligaments are in the sole of the foot. The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament joins the navicular bone in the ankle to the calcaneus, or heel bone; the plantar cuboideonavicular ligament joins the navicular bone to the cuboid bone of the ankle. The plantar metatarsal ligaments bind the instep across the sole of the foot.