ANKLE JOINT
The ankle is a large joint made up of three bones:
The shin bone (tibia)
The thinner bone running next to the shin bone (fibula)
A foot bone that sits above the heel bone (talus)
The bony bumps (or protrusions) seen and felt on the ankle have their own names:
The medial malleolus, felt on the inside of your ankle is part of the tibia's base
The posterior malleolus, felt on the back of your ankle is also part of the tibia's base
The lateral malleolus, felt on the outside of your ankle is the low end of the fibula
The ankle joint allows up-and-down movement of the foot. The subtalar joint sits below the ankle joint, and allows side-to-side motion of the foot. Numerous ligaments (made of tough, moveable tissue) surround the true ankle and subtalar joints, binding the bones of the leg to each other and to those of the foot.
FOOT
The feet are flexible structures of bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues that let us stand upright and perform activities like walking, running, and jumping. The feet are divided into three sections:
The forefoot contains the five toes (phalanges) and the five longer bones (metatarsals).
The midfoot is a pyramid-like collection of bones that form the arches of the feet. These include the three cuneiform bones, the cuboid bone, and the navicular bone.
The hindfoot forms the heel and ankle. The talus bone supports the leg bones (tibia and fibula), forming the ankle. The calcaneus (heel bone) is the largest bone in the foot.
Muscles, tendons, and ligaments run along the surfaces of the feet, allowing the complex movements needed for motion and balance. The Achilles tendon connects the heel to the calf muscle and is essential for running, jumping, and standing on the toes.
The ankle is a large joint made up of three bones:
The shin bone (tibia)
The thinner bone running next to the shin bone (fibula)
A foot bone that sits above the heel bone (talus)
The bony bumps (or protrusions) seen and felt on the ankle have their own names:
The medial malleolus, felt on the inside of your ankle is part of the tibia's base
The posterior malleolus, felt on the back of your ankle is also part of the tibia's base
The lateral malleolus, felt on the outside of your ankle is the low end of the fibula
The ankle joint allows up-and-down movement of the foot. The subtalar joint sits below the ankle joint, and allows side-to-side motion of the foot. Numerous ligaments (made of tough, moveable tissue) surround the true ankle and subtalar joints, binding the bones of the leg to each other and to those of the foot.
FOOT
The feet are flexible structures of bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues that let us stand upright and perform activities like walking, running, and jumping. The feet are divided into three sections:
The forefoot contains the five toes (phalanges) and the five longer bones (metatarsals).
The midfoot is a pyramid-like collection of bones that form the arches of the feet. These include the three cuneiform bones, the cuboid bone, and the navicular bone.
The hindfoot forms the heel and ankle. The talus bone supports the leg bones (tibia and fibula), forming the ankle. The calcaneus (heel bone) is the largest bone in the foot.
Muscles, tendons, and ligaments run along the surfaces of the feet, allowing the complex movements needed for motion and balance. The Achilles tendon connects the heel to the calf muscle and is essential for running, jumping, and standing on the toes.