Bifurcate ligament
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Geon Oh had no recorded disclosures.
View Geon Oh's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures- Bifurcated ligament
- Chopart ligament
- Calcaneonavicular ligament
- Calcaneonavicular ligament (CNL)
- Calcaneocuboid ligament
- Calcaneocuboid ligament (CCL)
- Ligament of Chopart
The bifurcate ligament, also known as the Chopart ligament 5,8, is a key stabilizer of the subtalar and midtarsal joints 5,7. It originates from the anterior process of the calcaneus before dividing into two bands that insert into the navicular and cuboid 5-7.
Gross anatomy
The bifurcate ligament lies deep to the extensor hallucis brevis and extensor digitorum brevis muscles 6. It arises from the anterior process of the calcaneus as a short stem with two bands forming a Y-shape or V-shape 1-8:
-
(lateral) calcaneonavicular ligament
arises deep to the interosseous talocalcaneal ligament/cervical ligament/extensor digitorum brevis muscle on the calcaneus, extends anteromedially and attaches to the dorsolateral navicular 6,8
forms the medial component 8
longer and thicker measuring 20-25 mm (length) and 10 mm (width) 5,6
almost always (~99%) present 5,6
-
(medial) calcaneocuboid ligament
extends anteriorly and attaches to the dorsomedial cuboid 8
forms the lateral component 8
measures 10 x 5 mm 6
absent in ~25% (range 10-40%) 5
Practical points
The medial calcaneocuboid ligament often blends with the dorsal calcaneocuboid ligament and in such a case they are indistinguishable on MRI.
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Walter W, Hirschmann A, Alaia E, Tafur M, Rosenberg Z. Normal Anatomy and Traumatic Injury of the Midtarsal (Chopart) Joint Complex: An Imaging Primer. Radiographics. 2019;39(1):136-52. doi:10.1148/rg.2019180102 - Pubmed
- 2. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2015) ISBN: 9780702052309 - Google Books
- 3. Richard L. Drake, Wayne Vogl, Adam W. M. Mitchell et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students. (2010) ISBN: 9780443069529 - Google Books
- 4. Mcminn. Last's Anatomy. (2003) ISBN: 9780729537520 - Google Books
- 5. Kafka R, Aveytua I, Choi P et al. Anatomico-Radiological Study of the Bifurcate Ligament of the Foot with Clinical Significance. Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3847. doi:10.7759/cureus.3847 - Pubmed
- 6. Edama M, Ikezu M, Kaneko F et al. Morphological Features of the Bifurcated Ligament. Surg Radiol Anat. 2019;41(1):3-7. doi:10.1007/s00276-018-2089-y - Pubmed
- 7. Kobayashi T, Watanabe K, Teramoto A, Suzuki D, Fujimiya M, Yamashita T. Biomechanical Analysis of Midfoot Instability After Bifurcate Ligament Injury and Ankle Brace Application: A Cadaveric Study. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2020;59(4):711-5. doi:10.1053/j.jfas.2019.12.002 - Pubmed
- 8. Melão L, Canella C, Weber M, Negrão P, Trudell D, Resnick D. Ligaments of the Transverse Tarsal Joint Complex: MRI–Anatomic Correlation in Cadavers. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2009;193(3):662-71. doi:10.2214/ajr.08.2084 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Related articles: Anatomy: Lower limb
- skeleton of the lower limb
- joints of the lower limb
-
hip joint
- ligaments
- muscles
- additional structures
- hip joint capsule
- zona orbicularis
- iliotibial band
-
hip bursae
- anterior
- iliopsoas bursa (iliopectineal bursa)
- lateral
- subgluteal bursae
- greater trochanteric bursa (subgluteus maximus bursa)
- subgluteus medius bursa
- subgluteus minimus bursa
- gluteofemoral bursa
- subgluteal bursae
- postero-inferior
- anterior
- ossification centers
-
knee joint
- ligaments
- anterior cruciate ligament
- posterior cruciate ligament
- medial collateral ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- meniscofemoral ligament (mnemonic)
-
posterolateral ligamentous complex
- arcuate ligament
- patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon
- anterolateral ligament
- posterior oblique ligament
- oblique popliteal ligament
- medial patellofemoral ligament
- additional structures
- extensor mechanism of the knee
- groove for the popliteus tendon
- knee bursae
- anterior bursae
- medial bursae
- lateral bursae
- posterior bursae
- knee capsule
- lateral patellar retinaculum
- medial patellar retinaculum
- menisci
- pes anserinus (mnemonic)
- ossification centers
- ligaments
- tibiofibular joints
-
ankle joint
- regional anatomy
- medial ankle
- lateral ankle
- anterior ankle
- ligaments
- medial collateral (deltoid) ligament
- lateral collateral ligament
- additional structures
- ankle bursae
- ossification centers of the ankle
- variants
- regional anatomy
- foot joints
- subtalar joint
- mid-tarsal (Chopart) joint
-
tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) joint
- ligaments
- intermetatarsal joint
- metatarsophalangeal joint
- interphalangeal joint
- ossification centers
-
hip joint
- spaces of the lower limb
-
muscles of the lower limb
- muscles of the pelvic group
- muscles of the thigh
- muscles of the leg
- anterior compartment of the leg
- posterior compartments of the leg
- lateral compartment of the leg
- muscles of the foot
- dorsal muscles
- plantar muscles
- 1st layer
- 2nd layer
- 3rd layer
- 4th layer
- accessory muscles of the lower limb
- accessory gluteal muscles
-
accessory muscles of the ankle
- accessory peroneal muscles
- accessory flexor digitorum longus muscle
- accessory soleus muscle
- peroneocalcaneus internus muscle
- tibiocalcaneus internus muscle
- extensor hallucis capsularis tendon
- anterior fibulocalcaneus muscle
- accessory extensor digiti secundus muscle
- tibioastragalus anticus of Gruber muscle
- vascular supply of the lower limb
- arterial supply of the lower limb
- venous drainage of the lower limb
- innervation of the lower limb
- lymphatic system of the lower limb
- lymphatic pathways
- anteromedial group
- anterolateral group
- posteromedial group
- posterolateral group
- lower limb lymph nodes
- lymphatic pathways
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.