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 calcaneonavicular ligamentous complex is a broad and thick band with three constituent ligaments. These connect the anterior margin of the
sustentaculum tali
In humans and many other primates, the calcaneus (; from the Latin ''calcaneus'' or ''calcaneum'', meaning heel) or heel bone is a bone of the tarsus of the foot which constitutes the heel. In some other animals, it is the point of the hock.
S ...
of the
calcaneus to the plantar surface of the
navicular bone.
Its individual components are the:
* superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament.
* medioplantar oblique ligament.
* inferior calcaneonavicular ligament.
These ligament components attach to different parts of the navicular bone.
The dorsal or superomedial component of the ligament presents a fibrocartilaginous facet, lined by the synovial membrane, upon which a portion of the head of the talus rests. Its plantar surface, consisting of the intermedial and lateral ligaments, is supported by the tendon 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 i ...
; its medial border is blended with the forepart of the
deltoid ligament
The deltoid ligament (or medial ligament of talocrural joint) is a strong, flat, triangular band, attached, above, to the apex and anterior and posterior borders of the medial malleolus.
The deltoid ligament is composed of 4 fibers:
1. Anterior ti ...
of the
ankle-joint.
Function
This ligamentous complex not only serves to connect the
calcaneus and
navicular bone, but supports the head of the
talus, forming part of the articular cavity in which it is received. It helps to maintain the
medial longitudinal arch
Medial may refer to:
Mathematics
* Medial magma, a mathematical identity in algebra Geometry
* Medial axis, in geometry the set of all points having more than one closest point on an object's boundary
* Medial graph, another graph that repre ...
of the
foot.
By providing support to the head of the talus, it bears most of the body weight in a normally functioning foot.
Clinical significance
A
sprain to the plantar calcaneonavicular ligament can result in
flatfoot deformity, which can impair
mobility.
See also
*
Long plantar ligament
*
Short plantar ligament
References
External links
* ()
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060507052103/http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/lahr/LE2000/ankle%20pics/5medankle-new.jpg
{{Authority control
Ligaments of the lower limb