Tarsal

The tarsal are the cluster of bones in the foot between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsus. The bones of the tarsus do not belong to individual toes, whereas those of the metatarsus do. The joint between the tibia and fibula and the tarsus is referred to as the ankle joint.

Anatomy of Tarsals

There are seven bones of the tarsal:

• The talus bone which articulates with leg bones,
• The calcaneus bone or the heel,
• The cuneiform bones,
• The cuboid bone, and
• The navicular bone

Talus

It occupies the middle and upper part of the tarsus is the second larges of the tarsal bones.

It articulates with the tibia, fibula, calcaneus, and navicular. This means that the talus is one of the bones in the human body with the highest percentage of its surface area covered by articular cartilage. It is also unique in that it has a retrograde blood supply. This means that arterial blood enters the bone at the distal end.

The most common injury to the talus is the fracture of the talus which can affect the movement of the foot and ankle. Recovery after fractures of the talus can be prolonged. Walking and weight bearing on the foot cannot occur for eight to twelve weeks.

Calcaneus

The calcaneus, or the heel bone, is the largest bone of the human foot. The calcaneus forms part of the tarsi and constitutes the heel of the human foot or the point of an animal's hock.

Calcaneal fracture, also known as Lover's fracture and Don Juan fracture, is a fracture of the calcaneus. It usually caused by a fall from height. The name lover’s fracture is derived from the fact that a lover may jump from great heights while trying to escape from the lover's spouse.

Cuneiform

In the human foot, there are three cuneiform bones:

• The medial cuneiform,
• The intermediate cuneiform, and
• The lateral cuneiform

Cuneiforms are located between the navicular bone and the first, second and third metatarsal bones. They are also medial to the cuboid bone.

Cuboid Bone

The cuboid bone articulates distally with the fourth and fifth metatarsals, forming the fourth and fifth tarsometatarsal joints. Proximally, it articulates with the calcaneus, forming the calcaneocuboid joint.

The calcaneocuboid joint is a vital link in lateral foot stability. It is formed by the calcaneus and cuboid bones. This joint is susceptible to sudden injury or chronic strain, which can cause this joint to partially dislocate or subluxate.

Navicular Bone

The navicular bone is located on the medial side of the foot, and articulates proximally with the talus, distally with the three cuneiform bones, and occasionally laterally with the cuboid.

Extra navicular bone is a condition that can cause wear and tear on the tendons causing sharp pain with increased activity. This condition can be corrected with surgery to file down or remove the protrusion and repair the tendons that were affected.

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