The ankle joint, there are sometimes misconceptions about what the ankle joint actually is so we thought we’d help make sense of this joint in this blog below!
Strictly speaking, your ankle joint is a one dimensional synovial hinge joint that is made up of the talus in the foot and the long bones of the lower leg (tibia and fibula). These bones form the ankle mortise, which allows for just two movements of your ankle. These are called plantar flexion and dorsiflexion (pointing your toe down and pulling the top of your foot up towards your shin respectively).
For example, look down at your foot and begin circling it round and round. This will involve another joint which lies beneath the ankle, the sub-talar joint. It is the joint that is formed between the talus bone and the heel bone (calcaneus). This is actually a two dimensional joint. These bones can be grouped together to be called the rearfoot.
Therefore, when looking a little more closely at your anatomy, we can see that the ankle joint doesn’t rotate, or go sideways. Unless something is seriously wrong!
We consider the ‘ankle’ and the ‘rearfoot’ separately. This helps us to understand the complexities of your foots biomechanics and its movement. Doing so means we can treat the aches/pains and injuries in front of us much more successfully!
If you had problems around your ankle (and/or sub-talar joint!) please get in touch to let us help you understand your issue more clearly and get you on the right path for recovery!
You can book online at here or alternatively you can speak to one of our team directly on 01560 483200.
References
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Ankle_Joint
https://www.facebook.com/anatomyinmotion
