Club Foot

Q: What are the arches of the foot? How they are formed?
A) Longitudinal arch:
a) Medial longitudinal arch
b) Lateral longitudinal arch
B) Transverse arch:
a) Anterior transverse arch
b) Posterior transverse arch

Medial longitudinal arch:

 Anterior end – Heads of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bone.
 Posterior end – Medial tubercle of the calcaneum.
 Summit – Superior articular surface of the body of the talus.
 Pillars – Anteriorly by the talus, navicular, three cuneiform and first three
metatarsal bones. Posteriorly by the medial part of the calcaneum.
 Main joint – Talo-calcaneo-navicular joint.

Lateral longitudinal arch:

 Anterior end – Heads of the 4th and 5th metatarsal bone.
 Posterior end – Lateral tubercle of the calcaneum.
 Summit – At the level of the subtalar joint.
 Pillars – Anteriorly by the cuboid and 4 th and 5th metatarsal bones. Posteriorly by
the lateral half of the calcaneum.
 Main joint – Calcaneo-cuboid joint.

Anterior transverse arch:

 Formed by the heads of the five metatarsal bones.

Posterior transverse arch:

 It is incomplete and formed by the greater parts of the tarsus and metatarsus.
Q: What is the deltoid ligament? What are its parts?
It is the medial ligament of the ankle joint, triangular in shape and is very strong.
It has two parts:
a) Deep part (Anterior tibio-talar)
b) Superficial part:
a. Anteriorly – Tibio-navicular
b. Middle – Calcaneo-tibial
c. Posteriorly – Posterior tibio-talar
Q: What is spring ligament?
It is also called planter calcaneo-navicular ligament. It is attached posteriorly to the
anterior margin of the sustentaculum tali and anteriorly to the planter surface of the
navicular bone. The head of the talus rests directly over the upper surface of the
ligament. It is the most important ligament for maintaining the medial longitudinal
arch of the foot.
Q: What is master knot of Henry?
It is a very thick and heavy structure made up of fibrous tissue and cartilage which
extends from the navicular bone around the flexor digitorum longus and flexor
hallucis longus tendons to reattach to the navicular bone or fascia of the flexor
hallucis brevis. The knot is included sometimes in a large mass of scar tissue and
cartilage which is partly attached to the navicular bone and medial malleolus and
may be the primary tissue holding the navicular bone in its displaced position.