Description
The ankle joint is a hinge joint formed by the distal end of the tibia and its medial malleolus, the lateral malleolus of the fibula, and the body of the talus. The articular surfaces are covered with hyaline cartilage and lined with a synovial membrane.
Movement around this joint includes dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. When the knee is straight, the normal range of dorsiflexion is approximately 10°, and increases to 30° when the knee is flexed, i.e., the calcaneal tendon in relaxed. The range of plantar flexion is approximately 30° (Standring, 2016).
The ankle joint is strengthened and stabilized by the medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the ankle joint. The medial collateral ligament, or the deltoid ligament, is composed of four parts, including the tibionavicular, tibiocalcaneal, and anterior and posterior tibiotalar parts. The lateral collateral ligament of the ankle joint is a complex of strong ligaments and is composed of three distinct parts, including the calcaneofibular, anterior talofibular, and posterior talofibular ligaments.
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41st edn.: Elsevier Limited.
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Ankle Joint
The ankle or talocrural joint (mortise) is a hinge joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the trochlea of the talus that provides plantarflexion and dorsiflexion movement.
