Ankle and Foot Anatomy Quiz

The study of the bones that make up the ankle joint, their structure, and how they contribute to its function.

The curved structures in the foot that provide support and distribute weight.

Foot movements; inversion is turning the sole inward, and eversion is turning the sole outward.

The pulse points found in the lower limb, used to assess blood flow.

This tunnel contains the nerves and vessels running within the ankle area.

The 7 bones that make up the rear part of the foot.

The 5 bones in the mid-foot that connect the tarsals and phalanges.

The 14 bones that make up the toes.

A hinge-like joint that connects the foot and leg, allowing movement up and down.

A tarsal bone that forms part of the ankle joint.

A fracture of the talus bone, often caused by forceful impact or twisting, commonly associated with lateral malleolus (fibula) fractures.

A severe fracture of the distal tibia (lower part of the shinbone), involving the joint surface. Often caused by high-impact forces like falls from heights.

A joint between the talus and calcaneus (heel bone), allowing gliding and rotation, playing a key role in foot inversion.

A combination of the talocalcaneonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints, responsible for inversion and eversion movements.

Compression of nerves and vessels within the tarsal tunnel (space between the tarsal bones and flexor retinaculum), causing pain, numbness, and tingling.

A horizontal arch running across the foot, formed by the junction of the tarsals and metatarsals, including the cuboid and three cuneiforms.

A long arch running along the length of the foot, composed of two parts: the medial part (involving the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiforms, and first three metatarsals) and the lateral part (involving the calcaneus, cuboid, and lateral two metatarsals).

A strong ligament that connects the anterior sustentaculum tali to the inferior surface of the navicular bone, helping to maintain the medial longitudinal arch.

A strong ligament extending from the calcaneus to the cuboid and the bases of the 2nd to 5th metatarsals, contributing to the stability of the lateral longitudinal arch.

Thickened deep fascia on the sole of the foot, providing firm attachment for the skin, protecting neurovascular bundles, and assisting in maintaining the arches.

One of the nerves supplying the sole of the foot, responsible for sensation in the medial side of the foot and toes.

One of the nerves supplying the sole of the foot, responsible for providing sensation to the lateral side of the foot and toes.

An arch formed by the lateral plantar artery as it passes deep to the muscles of the sole of the foot.

A smaller artery that branches from the posterior tibial artery and supplies the medial side of the big toe.

A larger artery that branches from the posterior tibial artery, passes deep to the sole muscles, and forms the deep plantar arch.

The posterior tibial artery splits into the medial plantar artery and the lateral plantar artery, providing blood supply to the sole of the foot.

A landmark on the body located midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic symphysis.

A hollow behind the knee joint, where the posterior tibial artery and other structures run.

A pulsation can be felt between the medial malleolus and the heel, specifically between the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) medially, and the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) laterally.

The small saphenous vein originates on the lateral side of the dorsal venous arch, passes behind the lateral malleolus, ascends the posterior leg, and drains into the popliteal vein.

The great saphenous vein starts at the medial side of the dorsal venous arch, passes in front of the medial malleolus, travels up the medial leg, knee, and thigh, and drains into the femoral vein.

Deep veins of the lower limb usually accompany arteries. Perforating veins connect deep veins with superficial veins.

Deep veins of the leg drain into the popliteal vein.

The popliteal vein becomes the femoral vein after passing through the adductor hiatus, located in the upper thigh region.

The femoral vein becomes the external iliac vein when it passes beneath the inguinal ligament.

The common fibular nerve originates from the sacral plexus.

The tibial nerve originates from the sciatic nerve, which itself is a branch of the sacral plexus.

The saphenous nerve originates from the femoral nerve.

A curved structure underneath the foot formed by arteries, supporting the weight of the body and providing blood supply to the sole of the foot. It's formed by the deep plantar artery branching from the posterior tibial artery.

A narrow space inside the ankle where nerves and blood vessels pass, formed by the tarsal bones and the flexor retinaculum. It is a potential site of compression causing pain, numbness and tingling (Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome).

A network of veins on the top of the foot, connecting the superficial veins of the foot with the deep veins of the leg. The great and small saphenous veins both originate from this arch.

Superficial veins in the legs. There are two main saphenous veins: Great saphenous vein, which runs the length of the medial leg and Small saphenous vein, which runs up the posterior leg.

The fourteen bones that make up the toes, each toe has two or three phalanges.

A tarsal bone that forms part of the ankle joint and sits between the tibia and fibula.

A fracture of the lateral malleolus (fibula) that occurs superior to the inferior tibiofibular joint. Often caused by forceful inversion of the foot, resulting in a twisting motion and instability of the ankle.

The fibula is a long bone in the lower leg that provides stability to the ankle joint. It helps support body weight and facilitates movement.

The lateral ligament of the ankle is composed of three separate ligaments that help stabilize the ankle joint by preventing excessive inward rolling of the foot.

The medial (deltoid) ligament of the ankle is a large, strong ligament that helps stabilize the ankle joint, preventing excessive outward rolling.

An inversion sprain occurs when the foot rolls inward, stretching or tearing the lateral ligaments of the ankle.

An eversion sprain is less common and occurs when the foot rolls outward, stretching or tearing the medial (deltoid) ligament.

A Pott's fracture is a bimalleolar ankle fracture, involving a break in both the medial and lateral malleolus (bones at the ankle).

An avulsion fracture occurs when a ligament pulls so strongly on a bone that it tears a piece of it off.

Ankle sprains involve stretching or tearing the ankle ligaments, ranging from mild to severe.

The foot has two main arches: the longitudinal arch (running along the length of the foot) and the transverse arch (running across the foot).

The longitudinal arch has two parts: the medial part, which is on the inside of the foot and includes the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiforms, and 3 metatarsals. The lateral part, on the outside, involves the calcaneus, cuboid, and the last 2 metatarsals.

The plantar aponeurosis is a thick layer of fascia on the sole of the foot. It helps maintain the arches, protects nerves and blood vessels, and provides a strong attachment for the skin.

The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament, also known as the 'spring ligament', is a strong ligament that helps maintain the medial longitudinal arch. It connects the anterior sustentaculum tali to the inferior surface of the navicular bone.

The long plantar ligament is a strong ligament that helps stabilize the lateral longitudinal arch. It runs from the calcaneus to the cuboid and the bases of the 2nd to 5th metatarsals.

The sole of the foot's sensation is provided by the medial and lateral plantar nerves which branch off from the tibial nerve. They are responsible for the feeling in the toes and the sole of the foot.

The muscles of the sole of the foot are organized into four layers, each with different functions. The arrangement helps with movement, support, and stability of the foot.

The transverse arch forms a curved shape across the foot. It's created by the junction of the tarsals (cuboid and cuneiforms) with the metatarsals.

A pulse can be felt between the medial malleolus and the heel, specifically between the tendons of the flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) medially, and the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) laterally.

Deep veins of the leg drain into the popliteal vein.

The popliteal vein becomes the femoral vein after passing through the adductor hiatus, located in the upper thigh region.

The femoral vein becomes the external iliac vein when it passes beneath the inguinal ligament.

The ankle joint is formed by the articulation of three bones: the tibia (shinbone), fibula (lower leg bone), and the talus (a tarsal bone).

The foot has two main arches: the longitudinal arch (running along the length of the foot) and the transverse arch (running across the foot). These arches provide support and distribute weight, acting as shock absorbers during walking and running.

Inversion is turning the sole of the foot inward, while eversion is turning the sole outward. These movements are possible due to the articulation of the subtalar joint and midtarsal joint.

Peripheral pulses in the lower limb are palpable at various locations where major arteries run close to the surface. These pulses can be felt by pressing gently on the skin.

The tarsal tunnel is a passageway in the ankle, formed by the tarsal bones and the flexor retinaculum. It houses important nerves and blood vessels that supply the foot.

There are seven tarsal bones in the foot, forming the rear part of the foot and contributing to its stability.

The 5 metatarsal bones are the bones in the mid-foot that connect the tarsals to the phalanges. They provide support and flexibility.

The 14 phalanges are the bones of the toes. Each toe has proximal, middle, and distal phalanges, except for the big toe which only has proximal and distal.

The talus is a tarsal bone that plays a crucial role in ankle joint formation. It sits between the tibia and fibula, enabling the ankle's up and down movements.

The fibula articulates with the talus, the bone in the ankle that forms the joint with the tibia. This articulation is covered by hyaline cartilage, allowing for smooth movement.

The ankle joint is more stable when the foot is dorsiflexed (pointed upwards). This is due to the wider anterior surface of the talus compared to its posterior surface.

The lateral (outer) ankle ligaments help prevent the foot from rolling inward (inversion). The anterior talofibular ligament is usually the first to be injured in an inversion sprain.

The medial (inner) ankle ligament, also known as the deltoid ligament, is large and strong. It helps prevent the foot from rolling outward (eversion).

An inversion sprain occurs when the foot rolls inward, stretching or tearing the lateral ligaments. The anterior talofibular ligament is usually the first to be injured.

An eversion sprain occurs when the foot rolls outward, stretching or tearing the medial (deltoid) ligament. It's less common than inversion sprain.

A Pott's fracture involves a break in both the medial and lateral malleoli (bones at the ankle). It typically results from the foot being everted (rolled outward) forcefully.

An avulsion fracture happens when a strong ligament pulls on a bone forcefully, causing a piece of bone to break off.

The arches of the foot provide support and distribute weight evenly, acting as shock absorbers for walking and running.

This ligament connects the anterior sustentaculum tali to the inferior surface of the navicular bone, helping to maintain the medial longitudinal arch. It is often called the 'spring ligament' because of its role in providing springiness to the foot.

This arch is formed by the junction of the tarsals (cuboid and cuneiforms) with the metatarsals, creating a curved shape across the foot.