Ankle, Foot, and Heel
In understanding foot and leg conditions, it is helpful to know how these complex structures relate to each other. There are 28 bones and over 30 joints in the foot. Tough bands of tissue, called ligaments, hold the bones and joints in place. The ankle itself is actually comprised of two joints. The top ankle joint is composed of three bones: the shinbone (tibia), the other bone of the lower leg (fibula), and the anklebone (talus). The leg bones form a scooped pocket around the top of the anklebone. This lets the foot bend up and down.
Right below the ankle joint is another joint, where the anklebone connects to the heel bone. This joint enables the foot to rock from side to side. Three sets of fibrous tissues connect the bones and provide stability to both joints. The knobby bumps you can feel on either side of your ankle are the very ends of the lower leg bones. The bump on the outside of the ankle is part of the fibula; the smaller bump on the inside of the ankle is part of the shinbone.
- Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle
- Broken Ankle
- Bunions
- Chronic Lateral Ankle Pain
- Claw Toe
- Clubfoot
- Corns
- Diabetic Foot
- Foot Pain
- Hammer Toe
- Ingrown Toenail
- Morton’s Neuroma
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Plantar Warts
- Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle
- Sesamoiditis
- Smelly (Malodorous) Feet
- Sprained Ankle
- Stiff Big Toe (Hallux Rigidus)
- Stress Fractures of the Foot and Ankle
- Toe and Forefoot Fractures