Joints and ligaments · Lower limb
Talocalcaneal interosseous ligament !
The talocalcaneal interosseous ligament is a strong band in the tunnel between the talus and heel bone; it steadies the joint below the ankle.
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What it is
A strong, flat band in the tunnel between the talus and the heel bone (the sinus tarsi).
What it does
Ties the talus to the heel bone and steadies the joint below the ankle (the subtalar joint).
Key facts
- Attaches
- Sulcus tali to calcaneal sulcus, filling tarsal sinus and canal
- Function
- Main bond between talus and calcaneus; divides subtalar from talocalcaneonavicular joint
- Tight in
- Eversion (some texts: inversion)
Relations
- Lateral
- Sinus tarsi: the cervical ligament, the roots of the inferior extensor retinaculum, fat and the origin of the extensor digitorum brevis
- Medial
- Medial opening of the tarsal canal behind the sustentaculum tali, where the artery of the tarsal canal (from the posterior tibial artery) enters to supply much of the talar body
- Behind
- Posterior subtalar joint (posterior facet)
- In front
- Talocalcaneonavicular joint (middle and anterior facets and the talar head)
How to find it
Not palpable itself. Its lateral entrance, the sinus tarsi, is a soft hollow just in front of and below the lateral malleolus, easiest to find with the foot turned in.
Examination
- Point tenderness in the sinus tarsi, with a feeling of hindfoot instability on uneven ground, suggests sinus tarsi syndrome or subtalar instability
On imaging
MRI on sagittal and coronal images shows it as dark bands in the tarsal canal; in sinus tarsi syndrome, the normal fat is replaced by fluid or scar and the ligaments look torn or thickened. Oblique (Broden) X-rays show the posterior subtalar facet.
Common problems
- Can be injured in ankle sprains, causing ongoing pain on the outer side of the hindfoot (sinus tarsi syndrome).
Clinical notes
- Talar neck fractures can tear the artery of the tarsal canal running beside it, contributing to avascular necrosis of the talar body
- Subtalar arthroscopy reaches the ligament through portals in the sinus tarsi
- In subtalar dislocation the foot usually goes medially ('basketball foot'); lateral dislocations are rarer, higher-energy and more often open
Development
Talocalcaneal coalition, a failure of the two bones to separate, usually involves the middle facet just in front of this ligament and causes a rigid flatfoot in adolescence.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Where does the talocalcaneal interosseous ligament lie?
In the tarsal sinus and canal, from the sulcus tali to the calcaneal sulcus.
Which two joints does the talocalcaneal interosseous ligament separate?
The posterior subtalar joint behind and the talocalcaneonavicular joint in front.
Which ligament must rupture for a subtalar dislocation to occur?
The talocalcaneal interosseous ligament, the main bond between talus and calcaneus.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- ligamentum talocalcaneum interosseum TA2 1928
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Ligamento talocalcáneo interóseo DeCS D013380
- English (TA2)
- Talocalcaneal interosseous ligament
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Foot Joints.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
