Bones of the Ankle: Tibia, Talus, and Fibula

The ankle comprises three bones which are Fibula, Talus, and Tibia. A bone is a hard tissue that consists of the part of the skeleton in most animals. Bones also protect many organs of the body and store minerals. They also provide structure and support for the body and take care of its mobility. There are a total of five types of bones in the human body which are long bones, short bones, flat bones, sesamoid bones, and irregular bones. Short bones are cube-shaped bones like the ankle and the wrist bones. In this article, we will have a look at the bones of the ankle, the tendons, nerves, and ligaments.

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Ankle

The ankle joint is a complex mechanism made up of two kinds of joints the subtalar joint and the true ankle joint. Our ankle is made up of 3 bones, which are as follows:

• Tibia: It forms the inside, medial portion of the ankle.
• Fibula: It forms the lateral, outside portion of the ankle joint.
• Talus: It forms the underneath portion of the ankle joint.

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The true ankle joint manages the up-and-down motion of the foot. However, the true ankle joint is mainly counted as the second part of the ankle joint. The subtalar joint, which contains the talus on the top and the calcaneus on the bottom is considered to be the first part. Also, the subtalar joint manages the side-to-side motion of the ankle joint.

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Bones of the Ankle

The 3 bones by which the ankle is made are as given below:

1. Tibia, the shin bone

It is the larger and the stronger bone of the two lower leg bones, also it forms the inside part of the ankle joint. The tibia is a much stronger bone than the fibula. The tibia is seen from a front or anterior view.

2. Fibula, the thinner bone next to the shin bone (Tibia)

It is the smaller bone of the lower leg, also it forms the outside part of the ankle joint. The fibula is the same length as the tibia but really thinner. It is just parallel to the tibia and is very important for support and stability.

3. Talus, a foot bone just above the heel bone

It is a small bone between the tibia and fibula and the calcaneus or the heel bone. The talus is also referred to as the ankle bone. It is the bone that made up the lower part of the ankle joint. The talus stays just above the calcaneus or the heel bone; and also, together, they made up the subtalar joint.

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The bony bumps (or protrusions) seen and felt on the ankle have their own unique names. The tibia and fibula have particular parts that make up the ankle. The 3 names are given for this are as follows:

• The medial malleolus is felt on the inside part of your ankle and it is a part of the tibia's base.
• The posterior malleolus is felt on the back part of your ankle and it is also a part of the tibia's base.
• The lateral malleolus is felt on the end or the outside part of your ankle and it is the low end of the fibula.

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Ankle joint Ligaments

The ligaments around the ankle can be differentiated, depending on their factors like anatomic position, into the lateral ligaments and the deltoid ligament on the medial side. These are further classified as:

1. Anterior talofibular ligament
2. Posterior talofibular ligament
3. Calcaneofibular ligament

• The deltoid ligament is connected to the tibia’s medial malleolus. It supports the joint’s medial side. 
• To the talar shelf, it is connected at four places which are calcaneonavicular ligament, the calcaneus, the medial surface of the talus, and the navicular tuberosity. 
• The anterior and the posterior talofibular ligaments support the malleolus joint’s lateral side present on the fibula to the dorsal and the ventral end of the talus.
• The calcaneofibular ligament is connected to the lateral side of the lateral malleolus and the calcaneus.

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Ankle Joint Tendons and nerves

Tendons are strong fibers that join your muscles to your bones. Nerves are fibers that transfer messages from one part of the body to the other, as tiny electrical signals. Both the tendons and muscles can get injured and need repair. Most tendon injuries come near joints, like the shoulder, knee, elbow, and ankle.

The ankle tissue which is in the form of bands is known as retinacula. It allows the tendons to exert force in between the foot and the ankle of the leg without lifting away. Mechanoreceptors e present in the ankle are responsible for sending proprioceptive sensory input to the Central nervous system. Muscle spindles are the main mechanoreceptors responsible for this.

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Clinical Significance

The ankle joint is essential during ambulation because it acquires the surface on which one walks. The movements that come at the joint of the ankle are inversion, dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, and eversion. The muscles of the leg divide into posterior, anterior, and lateral compartments.

Conditions related to Ankle 

Some common ankle conditions in case of injury of the ankle are as follows: 

• Sprained ankle: The partial tear of the ligament causes an ankle sprain due to excess inversion of the weight-bearing and plantarflexed foot. The damage to the anterior talofibular ligament is a kind of irreversible damage.
• Traumatic Injury: The outer surface of the foot twists due to weight-bearing and as a result, the anterior talofibular is subjected to tearing which resists the rotation of the talocrural joint.
• Ankle fracture
• Septic arthritis
• Gout
• Psoriatic arthritis
• High ankle sprain
• Ankle arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

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Things to Remember

• The ankle joint is a complex mechanism.
• The 3 bones of the true ankle joint are as follows:
  • Tibia- It forms the inside, medial portion of the ankle.
  • Fibula- It forms the lateral, outside portion of the ankle joint.
  • Talus- It forms the underneath portion of the ankle joint.
• The tibia is the most important bone of the ankle.
• Sprained ankle, Ankle fracture, Septic arthritis, Gout are some ankle conditions in case the ankle gets affected or injured.
• Physical examination, Stress X-ray, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan), Ankle X-ray are some ankle tests you should do if your ankle gets affected or injured.
• RICE therapy: RICE. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Ankle immobilization, Cortisone injections, Ankle Surgery are some ankle treatments.

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