N
The Daily Insight

What are the seven bones of the ankle

Author

William Smith

Updated on April 18, 2026

The tarsal bones

What are the bones of the ankle?

A fall or blow to your ankle can break one or more of the three bones in your ankle joint — the fibula, the tibia and the talus. Rolling your ankle can cause a break in the knobby bumps at the end of the tibia and fibula.

What are the 14 ankle bones?

The 14 ankle bones are the talus, calcaneus (heel bone), navicular, cuboid, internal cuneiform, middle cuneiform, and external cuneiform on each side. The 38 foot bones are the 10 metatarsals and 28 phalanges (toe bones).

What are the bones of the ankle and foot?

The ankle joint connects the leg with the foot, and is composed of three bones: tibia, fibula and talus. The tibia or shin bone and fibula or calf bone are bones of the lower leg which articulate with the talus or ankle bone, enabling up and down movement of the foot.

What are the types of ankle fractures?

  • Fibula Only Fracture (lateral malleolus fracture) The base of the fibula (the lateral malleolus) forms the bony lump on the outside of your ankle. …
  • Bimalleolar Ankle Fracture. …
  • Trimalleolar Fractures. …
  • Tibia Only Fracture (pilon fracture) …
  • Maisonneuve Fracture.

What is the ankle called?

Talus: also called the ankle bone, sits above the heel bone (calcaneus) and makes up the lower part of the ankle joint by connecting the tibia and fibula with the foot.

What is the bone on the side of your ankle called?

The most common fracture is to the bony bump on the outside of the ankle, the lateral malleolus. The lateral malleolus is the bottom of the fibula, the smaller lower leg bone. The bump on the inside of your ankle, the medial malleolus, is less commonly fractured.

What is the front of your ankle called?

The tibialis anterior muscle runs down the front of the shin. The anterior tibial tendon lies on the inner-front of the ankle. The muscle and tendon work together to flex the foot upwards.

What is the metatarsal?

The metatarsal bones are the long bones in your foot that connect your ankle to your toes. They also help you balance when you stand and walk.

Where are the 7 tarsal bones?

In the human body, the tarsus is a cluster of seven articulating bones in each foot situated between the lower end of the tibia and the fibula of the lower leg and the metatarsus. It is made up of the midfoot (cuboid, medial, intermediate, and lateral cuneiform, and navicular) and hindfoot (talus and calcaneus).

Article first time published on

What are the name of 7 tarsal bones and 5metatarsal bones?

The tarsus consists of 7 bones which make the posterior aspect of the foot: talus, calcaneus, cuboid, navicular and three cuneiforms. The tarsal bones can be divided into the hindfoot (talus and calcaneus) and midfoot (cuboid and cuneiforms). The navicular is the intermediate bone between these two groups.

What are the 5 metatarsal bones?

  • The 1st metatarsal head and two sesamoid bones.
  • The 2nd metatarsal head.
  • The 3rd metatarsal head.
  • The 4th metatarsal head.
  • The 5th metatarsal head.

What's the worst ankle fracture?

There are different types of ankle fractures that can occur, and one of the more serious types is called a bimalleolar ankle fracture–an injury to both the inner and outer side of the ankle. Bimalleolar ankle fractures almost always require surgical treatment.

What is the most common ankle fracture?

Lateral malleolus fractures This is the most common ankle fracture, and it involves your fibula alone. This type of fracture is on the outside of your ankle, which is the area that’s under the most stress, whether you’re just walking or running and pivoting.

What's the difference between a fractured ankle and a broken ankle?

There’s no difference between a fracture and a break. A fracture is any loss of continuity of the bone. Anytime the bone loses integrity—whether it’s a hairline crack barely recognizable on an X-ray or the shattering of bone into a dozen pieces—it’s considered a fracture.

Can you have a fractured ankle and still walk on it?

Many people assume that if you can put weight on the ankle then it isn’t broken, however, it is possible to walk on a broken ankle, particularly with a less severe fracture. If you’re concerned your ankle may be broken, we recommend contacting your doctor, who can conduct an examination or order and xray if necessary.

Does a broken ankle hurt all the time?

If you fractured your ankle, you will likely experience immediate, sharp pain and possible swelling. Additional symptoms include: Pain that spreads throughout the foot and up your leg, toward your knee. Intensifying pain if you try to bear weight on your foot.

What is the fastest way to heal a broken ankle?

Rest: Rest is key. Staying off your injury will help you heal faster. You will likely wear a cast to help keep the foot and ankle immobilized. Ice: Ice the area for 20 minutes at a time to help with swelling and inflammation.

What are the 6 main ligaments of the ankle joint?

  • Medial Ligament.
  • Lateral Ligament.
  • Plantarflexion.
  • Dorsiflexion.

Which bone is known as heel bone?

The calcaneus (heel bone) is the largest of the tarsal bones in the foot. It lies at the back of the foot (hindfoot) below the three bones that make up the ankle joint.

What bones are in wrist?

Your wrist is made up of eight small bones (carpal bones) plus two long bones in your forearm — the radius and the ulna. Each finger consists of one hand bone (metacarpal) and three finger bones (phalanges), while each thumb consists of one metacarpal bone and two phalanges.

What is phalanges bone?

Phalanges. The 14 bones that are found in the fingers of each hand and also in the toes of each foot. Each finger has 3 phalanges (the distal, middle, and proximal); the thumb only has 2. Metacarpal bones.

What is phalanges foot?

The phalanges are the bones that make up the fingers of the hand and the toes of the foot. There are 56 phalanges in the human body, with fourteen on each hand and foot. Three phalanges are present on each finger and toe, with the exception of the thumb and large toe, which possess only two.

What is metatarsalgia left foot?

Metatarsalgia (met-uh-tahr-SAL-juh) is a condition in which the ball of your foot becomes painful and inflamed. You might develop it if you participate in activities that involve running and jumping. There are other causes as well, including foot deformities and shoes that are too tight or too loose.

Why do the tops of my ankles hurt when I walk?

Treating pain on the top of your foot near the ankle caused by extensor tendinitis. Extensor tendinitis is often caused by frequently wearing tight-fitting shoes. Wearing shoes that fit too tightly puts pressure on the tendons running along the top of your foot, which causes painful inflammation.

What does it mean when the front of your ankle hurts?

Anterior ankle impingement is caused by traumatic or repetitive compression to the structures at the front of the ankle as the tibia and talus move towards each other during movements. The tissues that are affected become damaged and inflamed, causing the pain typical of ankle impingement.

Why does my ankle hurt when I point my toes?

Posterior ankle impingement involves pain on the back side of your ankle, especially during activities that involve pointing your toes. The pain is caused by compression of soft or bony tissue between the shin bone (tibia) and the heel bone (calcaneus).

What is the difference between tarsus and tarsal?

Your tarsal bones are located in the rearfoot (also called hindfoot) and midfoot areas of your foot. These bones are also known collectively as the tarsus. There are seven bones within the tarsal bones group: Talus: Ankle bone.

What is the common name for the tarsus?

A common name for the tarsus is. hock. The_______joints are the freely movable joints of the body. synovial joints.

How many ankle bones are there?

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)

What is a fifth metatarsal fracture?

A fifth metatarsal fracture is a type of broken bone in your foot. You have 5 metatarsals. They are the middle bones in your feet, between your toes and your anklebones (tarsals). The fifth metatarsal connects your smallest toe to your ankle. These bones help with arch support and balance.