What are parts of the talus?
The talus has been described as having three main components: head, neck, and body. It is an irregular saddle-shaped bone. The talar body has a curved smooth trochlear surface also termed the talar dome, which is covered with hyaline cartilage and convex from front to back.
Where is the talus in the body?
The talus is a small bone that sits between the heel bone (calcaneus) and the two bones of the lower leg (the tibia and fibula). It has an irregular, humped shape like a turtle’s shell.
What is on each side of the talus?
The talus has joints with the two bones of the lower leg, the tibia and thinner fibula. These leg bones have two prominences (the lateral and medial malleoli) that articulate with the talus.
What is underneath the talus?
This is called the neck. The neck is between the “body” of your talus, which is under your tibia by your ankle joint, and the “head” of your talus, which is farther down your foot. Lateral process. The outside of your talus bone is called the lateral process.
What muscle attaches to talus?
No muscles are attached to the talus but many ligaments are attached to the bone, creating stability in the ankle, subtalar and calcaneonavicular joints. On the lateral side, the joint is held together by the posterior talofibular and anterior talofibular ligaments.
What does it mean when your talus hurts?
Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT): A sudden injury can damage the cartilage present on top of the Talus bone (heel bone). It usually happens after an injury like an ankle sprain. If the cartilage fails to heal properly after the injury, it begins to break off and lead to OLT or Talar dome lesion.
Which muscles attach to the talus?
Is the talus a foot or ankle bone?
The talus is the bone that makes up the lower part of the ankle joint (the tibia and fibula make up the upper part). The ankle joint allows your foot to move up and down. The talus also sits above the heel bone (calcaneus).
Why does my talus hurt?
Talus fractures most commonly occur due to high-energy injuries. These injuries include car and motorcycle accidents and falls from significant heights. Talus fractures occur due to sports injuries, too. Many snowboarders break their talus bones.
What causes pain in the talus?
A talus fracture is a painful injury usually caused by a high-impact accident such as a car accident or fall. If you have a talus fracture, you’ll want to be seen by your healthcare provider right away. Talus fractures usually require surgery to repair.
What ligaments attach to talus?
On the lateral side, the joint is held together by the posterior talofibular and anterior talofibular ligaments. On the medial side it is held together by a massive ligament, the deltoid ligament, which attaches not only to a broad area on the talus but also to the adjoining bones below and in front.
Is the talus weight bearing?
Several biomechanical and human studies demonstrate that early weight bearing in talus fractures is beneficial on osteogenic healing, new vessel formation [5] and on pain relief and ankle-hind foot mobility [6, 7, 8].
Why is my talus swollen?
Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT): If the cartilage fails to heal properly after the injury, it begins to break off and lead to OLT or Talar dome lesion. Symptoms may include chronic pain, clicking or catching sensation in the ankle, locking of ankle and swelling.
How do you get rid of talus pain?
Nonsurgical Treatment Approaches
- Immobilization. Depending on the type of injury, the leg may be placed in a cast or cast boot to protect the talus.
- Oral medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be helpful in reducing the pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy.
- Ankle brace.
What does it mean if your talus hurts?
Because the talus is important for ankle movement, a fracture often results in substantial loss of motion and function. A talus fracture that does not heal properly can lead to complications, including a limp, arthritis, and chronic pain. For this reason, most talus fractures require surgery.
How do you cure talus pain?
Treatment. Immediate first aid treatment for a talus fracture, as with any painful ankle injury, is to apply a well-padded splint around the back of the foot and leg to immobilize and protect the limb. The splint should extend from the toe to the upper calf.
Is the talus a weight bearing bone?
The talus (astragalus) articulates above with the bones of the lower leg to form the ankle joint. The other six tarsals, tightly bound together by ligaments below the talus, function as a strong weight-bearing platform.