Joints and ligaments · Lower limb
Short plantar ligament !
The short plantar ligament is a short, wide band under the joint between the heel bone and the cuboid, supporting the outer arch.
Official name: Plantar calcaneocuboid ligament
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What it is
A short, wide ligament under the joint between the heel bone and the cuboid, deep to the long plantar ligament.
What it does
Helps hold up the outer arch.
Key facts
- Attaches
- Anterior tubercle of calcaneus to plantar surface of cuboid (plantar calcaneocuboid ligament)
- Function
- Supports lateral longitudinal arch; stabilizes calcaneocuboid joint
- Tight in
- Weight-bearing (arch flattening)
Relations
- Superficial
- Long plantar ligament, separated by a thin layer of fat
- Deep
- Plantar capsule of the calcaneocuboid joint
- Medial
- Spring ligament on the medial side of the same transverse joint line
How to find it
Not palpable: it lies deep in the lateral sole. In dissection it appears once the long plantar ligament is turned back, running from the front of the plantar calcaneus to the cuboid behind the groove for the fibularis longus tendon.
On imaging
MRI sagittal and coronal images show it as a short, broad dark band under the calcaneocuboid joint. X-rays may show small plantar flakes from the calcaneus or cuboid after midfoot sprains.
Clinical notes
- Chopart joint injuries can avulse small fragments from the calcaneus or cuboid; these are easily missed on ankle X-rays
- 'Nutcracker' cuboid fracture: forced forefoot abduction crushes the cuboid between the calcaneus and the fourth and fifth metatarsal bases
- Shares the lateral column load with the long plantar ligament after plantar fascia release
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What are the attachments of the short plantar ligament?
From the anterior tubercle on the underside of the calcaneus to the cuboid's plantar surface (plantar calcaneocuboid ligament).
Which joint does the short plantar ligament mainly support?
The calcaneocuboid joint, the lateral half of the Chopart joint.
How does the short plantar ligament relate to the long plantar ligament?
It lies deep to the long plantar ligament, closer to the bones, separated by a thin layer of fat.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- ligamentum calcaneocuboideum plantare TA2 1940
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Ligamento calcaneocuboideo plantar
- English (TA2)
- Plantar calcaneocuboid ligament
- Also called
- ligamenta calcaneocuboidea plantaria
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Arches of the Foot; Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Foot Joints; Anatomy of the Human Body (20th ed.): Intertarsal Articulations (Lea & Febiger (Gray's Anatomy, 1918), 1918) · adapted, Public domain.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
