The deltoid ligament (or medial ligament of

talocrural joint The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

) is a strong, flat, triangular band, attached, above, to the apex and anterior and posterior borders of the

medial malleolus A malleolus is the bony prominence on each side of the human ankle. Each leg is supported by two bones, the tibia on the inner side (medial) of the leg and the fibula on the outer side (lateral) of the leg. The medial malleolus is the promine ...

. The deltoid ligament is composed of 4 fibers: 1. Anterior tibiotalar ligament 2. Tibiocalcaneal ligament 3. Posterior tibiotalar ligament 4. Tibionavicular ligament. It consists of two sets of fibers, superficial and deep.

Superficial fibres

Of the superficial fibres, * ''tibionavicular'' pass forward to be inserted into the tuberosity of the

navicular bone The navicular bone is a small bone found in the feet of most mammals. Human anatomy The navicular bone in humans is one of the tarsal bones, found in the foot. Its name derives from the human bone's resemblance to a small boat, caused by th ...

, and immediately behind this they blend with the medial margin of the

plantar calcaneonavicular ligament The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament (also known as the spring ligament or spring ligament complex) is a complex of three ligaments on the underside of the foot that connect the calcaneus with the navicular bone. Structure The plantar calcan ...

; * ''tibiocalcaneal'' descend almost perpendicularly to be inserted into the whole length of the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneus; * ''posterior tibiotalar'' from the posterior colliculus of the medial malleolus to the posteromedial surface of the talus

Deep fibres

The deep fibres (''anterior tibiotalar'') are attached from the anterior colliculus of the medial malleolus to the medial talus and medial tubercle

Coverings

The deltoid ligament is covered by the tendons of the

tibialis posterior The tibialis posterior muscle is the most central of all the leg muscles, and is located in the deep posterior compartment of the leg. It is the key stabilizing muscle of the lower leg. Structure The tibialis posterior muscle originates on the ...

and

flexor digitorum longus The flexor digitorum longus muscle is situated on the tibial side of the leg. At its origin it is thin and pointed, but it gradually increases in size as it descends. It serves to flex the second, third, fourth, and fifth toes. Structure The fl ...

which are supplied by the tibial nerve (L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3).

Additional Images

File:Slide1CECU.JPG, Ankle joint.Deep section. File:Slide5CEC4.JPG, Ankle joint. Deep dissection. File:Slide6CEC5.JPG, Ankle joint. Deep dissection. File:Slide8CEC7.JPG, Ankle joint. Deep dissection.

References

External links

* * () * http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/lahr/LE2000/ankle%20pics/5medankle-new.jpg {{Authority control * Thompson, Jon C. Netter's concise atlas of orthopaedic anatomy. Icon Learning Systems, 2002. 349-351 Ligaments of the lower limb Lower limb anatomy