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Ankle and foot anatomy
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If you’ve watched a documentary film about primates likes chimps or orangutans you may have thought how useful it would be if we could use our feet the same way we use our hands. Then we could underline our anatomy textbook with our hands, and make flashcards with our feet at the same time.
But, evolution has refined our feet to be compatible with walking bipedally. This is why the anatomy of the foot might roughly resemble the anatomy of the hand but is still different enough to have different functions. Thus, this page is dedicated to the anatomy of the ankle and foot.
| Ankle anatomy |
Movements: dorsiflexion, plantar flexion Upper ankle joint: inferior surfaces of tibia and fibula, superior surface of talus Lower ankle joint: talus, calcaneus, navicular bones Ankle ligaments: medial collateral ligament, deltoid ligament, lateral collateral ligament |
| Bones of the foot |
Tarsals: proximal (talus, calcaneus), intermediate (navicular), distal (cuboid, cuneiforms) bones - Mnemonic for tarsals: Tiger Cubs Need MILC Metatarsals: connect the tarsals and phalanges Phalanges: great toe consists of two phalanges (proximal, distal), the remaining four toes have three phalanges (proximal, middle, distal) |
| Joints of the foot |
Intertarsal: subtalar (talocalcaneal), talocalcaneonavicular, calcaneocuboid, cuneonavicular, cuboideonavicular, intercuneiform joints Tarsometatarsal: articulations between the tarsals and metatarsals Metatarsophalangeal: connect the metatarsals with the proximal phalanges Interphalangeal: great toe has one interphalangeal joint, other four toes have a two (proximal, distal) interphalangeal joints |
| Muscles of the foot |
Movements: foot inversion, foot eversion, toe flexion, toe extension, toe abduction, toe adduction Dorsal muscles: extensor digitorum brevis, extensor hallucis brevis Lateral plantar muscles: abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, opponens digiti minimi Central plantar muscles: flexor digitorum brevis, quadratus plantae, lumbricals, plantar interossei, dorsal interossei Medial plantar muscles: abductor hallucis, adductor hallucis, flexor hallucis brevis |
Ankle anatomy
The ankle joint, also known as the talocrural joint, allows dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the foot. It is made up of three joints: upper ankle joint (tibiotarsal), talocalcaneonavicular, and subtalar joints. The last two together are called the lower ankle joint.
The upper ankle joint is formed by the inferior surfaces of tibia and fibula, and the superior surface of talus. The lower ankle joint is formed by the talus, calcaneus, and navicular bone. The joint is supported by a set of ankle ligaments: the medial collateral or deltoid ligament, and lateral collateral ligament.
We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about the ankle joint and its ligaments with these study units:
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Bones of the foot
There are 26 bones in the foot, divided into three groups:
- Seven tarsal bones
- Five metatarsal bones
- Fourteen phalanges
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Tarsals make up a strong weight bearing platform. They are homologous to the carpals in the wrist and are divided into three groups: proximal, intermediate, and distal.
Learn the bones of the foot in half the time with these interactive quizzes and labeling activities!
- The proximal tarsal bones are the talus and calcaneus.
- The intermediate tarsal bone is the navicular.
- The distal tarsals are the cuboid and three cuneiform bones (lateral, intermediate, and medial).
A useful mnemonic in order to remember the tarsal bones is the following:
Tiger Cubs Need MILC
- Talus
- Calcaneus
- Navicular
- Medial cuneiform
- Intermediate cuneiform
- Lateral cuneiform
- Cuboid
Quiz yourself on the foot bones in multiple difficulty levels with this quiz.
The easiest way to learn all about the tarsal bones is to review them one by one. You can do that with our additional resources:
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Metatarsals are homologous to the metacarpals of the hand. They are involved in supporting body weight. On the plantar surface of the head of the 1st metatarsal, we see two prominent sesamoid bones (a medial and a lateral one).
Phalanges also parallel the hand, the lateral four toes are made up of three phalanges (proximal, middle, and distal). Whilst the great toe (hallux) is comprised of only two phalanges (proximal and distal).
We encourage you to take a look at our study materials to find out more about the bones of the foot and foot ligaments.
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Joints of the foot
Besides the ankle joint which connects the foot with the leg, the bones of the foot articulate among themselves through many synovial joints. There are four groups of foot joints: intertarsal, tarsometatarsal, metatarsophalangeal, and interphalangeal.
- The intertarsal joints are between the tarsal bones. These joints are the subtalar (talocalcaneal), talocalcaneonavicular, calcaneocuboid, cuneonavicular, cuboideonavicular, and intercuneiform joints.
- Tarsometatarsal joints are the articulations between the tarsals and metatarsals.
- Metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP) are the joints between the heads of metatarsals and corresponding bases of the proximal phalanges of the foot.
- Interphalangeal joints are between the phalanges of the foot. The great toe has only one interphalangeal joint, while the other four toes have a proximal (PIP) and a distal (DIP) interphalangeal joint.
Muscles of the foot
Foot muscles contribute to eversion and inversion of foot, movements of the toes, as well as plantar flexion and dorsiflexion. We encourage you to go through this study unit to learn all about the foot muscles.
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The foot muscles are divided into plantar and dorsal groups. There are only two muscles in the dorsal group, while the plantar muscles are further subdivided into three groups; lateral, central, and medial.
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The dorsal foot muscles are in the dorsum of foot and they extend the toes. They are the extensor digitorum brevis and extensor hallucis brevis muscles.
| Extensor digitorum brevis |
Origin: Superolateral surface of calcaneus bone Insertion: Middle phalanges of toes 2-4 Innervation: Deep fibular/peroneal nerve (S1, S2) Function: Distal interphalangeal joints 2-4: Toe extension |
| Extensor hallucis brevis |
Origin: Superolateral surface of calcaneus bone Insertion: Proximal phalanx of great toe Innervation: Deep fibular/peroneal nerve (S1, S2) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 1: Toe extension |
The plantar foot muscles are divided into three groups of muscles by the deep fasciae of the foot: lateral, central, and medial. Note that plantar muscles can also be studied as four layers, but here they are presented as groups.
The lateral plantar muscles act upon the fifth toe. They are the abductor digiti minimi, flexor digiti minimi brevis, and opponens digiti minimi muscles.
| Abductor digiti minimi |
Origin: Calcaneal tuberosity, Plantar aponeurosis Insertion: Base of proximal phalanx of digit 5, Metatarsal bone 5 Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S1- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 5: Toe abduction, Toe flexion; Supports longitudinal arch of foot |
| Flexor digiti minimi brevis |
Origin: Base of metatarsal bone 5, Long plantar ligament Insertion: Base of proximal phalanx of digit 5 Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 5: Toe flexion |
| Opponens digiti minimi |
Origin: Long plantar ligament, Base of metatarsal bone 5, Tendon sheath of fibularis longus Insertion: Lateral border of metatarsal bone 5 Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 5: Toe abduction, Toe flexion |
Central plantar muscles act upon the lateral four toes. They are the flexor digitorum brevis, quadratus plantae, four lumbricals, three plantar interossei, and four dorsal interossei muscles.
| Flexor digitorum brevis |
Origin: Medial process of calcaneal tuberosity, Plantar aponeurosis Insertion: Middle phalanges of digits 2-5 Innervation: Medial plantar nerve (S1- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joints 2-5: Toe flexion; Supports longitudinal arch of foot |
| Quadratus plantae |
Origin: Medial surface of calcaneus bone, Lateral process of calcaneal tuberosity Insertion: Tendon of flexor digitorum longus Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S1- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joints 2-5: Toe flexion |
| Lumbricals |
Origin: Tendons of flexor digitorum longus Insertion: Medial bases of proximal phalanges and dorsal aponeurosis of digits 2-5 Innervation: Lumbrical 1: Medial plantar nerve (S2,S3); Lumbricals 2-4: Lateral plantar nerve (S2-S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joints 2-5: Toe flexion, Toes adduction; Interphalangeal joints 2-5: Toes extension |
| Plantar interossei |
Origin: Medial aspects of metatarsal bones 3-5 Insertion: Medial bases of proximal phalanges of digits 3-5 Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joints 3-5: Toe flexion, Toes adduction; Interphalangeal joints 3-5: Toes extension |
| Dorsal interossei |
Origin: Opposing sides of metatarsal bones 1-5 Insertion: Medial base of proximal phalanx of digit 2, Lateral bases of proximal phalanges and dorsal aponeurosis of digits 2-4 Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2- S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joints 2-4: Toe flexion, Toe abduction; Interphalangeal joints 2-4: Toe extension |
Medial plantar muscles act upon the great toe, or hallux. They are the abductor hallucis, adductor hallucis, and flexor hallucis brevis muscles. Note that adductor hallucis is anatomically located in the central compartment of foot, but it is functionally grouped with the medial plantar muscles due to its actions on the great toe (hallux).
| Abductor hallucis muscle |
Origin: Medial process of calcaneal tuberosity, Flexor retinaculum, Plantar aponeurosis Insertion: Base of proximal phalanx of great toe Innervation: Medial plantar nerve (S1, S2, S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 1: Toe abduction, Toe flexion; Support of longitudinal arch of foot |
| Adductor hallucis muscle |
Origin: - Oblique head: bases metatarsal bones 2-4, Cuboid bone, Lateral cuneiform bone - Transverse head: plantar metatarsophalangeal ligaments of toes 3-5 Insertion: Lateral aspect of base of proximal phalanx of great toe Innervation: Lateral plantar nerve (S2,S3) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 1: Toe adduction, Toe flexion; Support of longitudinal and transverse arches of foot |
| Flexor hallucis brevis muscle |
Origin: Tendon of tibialis posterior, Medial cuneiform bone, Lateral cuneiform bone, Cuboid bone Insertion: Lateral and medial aspects of base of promixal phalanx of great toe Innervation: Medial plantar nerve (S1,S2) Function: Metatarsophalangeal joint 1: Toe flexion; Support of longitudinal arch of foot |
Note that tendons in the foot are protected with tendon sheaths. We can help you with both tendons sheaths and with medial plantar muscles.
To master all lower limb muscles, check out our muscle anatomy reference charts with high-quality illustrations. It provides a quick reference to lower limb muscle origins, insertions, innervations and functions.
What's the best way of learning anatomy? Repetition for sure. And how to make repetition interesting? With Kenhub custom quizzes! Test your knowledge about the ankle and foot anatomy with our quiz specially designed to aim the bones, ligaments, joints, muscles and neurovasculature of this region.
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