Analysis of the Ankle

In analyzing a normal day of school or work, we use a countless number of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and many other anatomical structures in order to carry out normal functions. Walking, for example, is taken for granted by most people because it is something we need to go about our day. By not being able to walk, life becomes very challenging and a daily struggle to accomplish simple tasks such as going to class or getting around your living environment. One structure extremely important to walking is the ankle. The ankle brings together two very important structures- the leg and the foot- which in turn makes it a vital structure in itself, worthy of exploring.

First off, the ankle is made up of four main bones: tibia, fibula, talus, and calcaneus. It includes the lower, or distal, ends of the tibia and fibula. On those distal ends are two bony landmarks known as the medial malleolus on the tibia and the lateral malleolus on the fibula. Medial refers to the structure being located closer to the spine/midline and lateral refers to the location as farther from midline. Therefore, the medial and not the lateral malleoli is located on the distal end of the tibia because the tibia is the more medially located bone. Therefore the medial malleoli goes hand in hand with the tibia. These bony landmarks are protrusions that exist horizontally and inferiorly which help to increase the range of motion of the tendons in the muscles that run posterior to them. In addition, the talus is another bone that sits directly under and articulates with the tibia. The glossy covering on the joint surface articulates with the similar glossy undersurface of tibia allowing the ankle to glide smooth and effortlessly. (Foot and Ankle Anatomy, 2011). The calcaneus bone sits directly below the talus and is otherwise known as the heel bone.
The articulation of the distal tibia and superior talus along with the distal, medial fibula with the lateral talus all work together