Spring ligament recess

Last revised by Andrew Murphy on 10 Jun 2020

The spring ligament recess is a collection of fluid that extends from the talocalcaneonavicular joint sitting between the medioplantar oblique and inferoplantar longitudinal sections of the spring ligament complex

Radiographic appearance
MRI

The spring ligament recess is an important feature to consider when interpreting MRI of the foot, particularly in fluid-sensitive sequences, as its presence does not particularly indicate a tear 1. It appears as a tear-drop-like shape in both the coronal and sagittal plane, most commonly faces anterior-medial on the axial plane.

It is known to communicate with the talocalcaneonavicular joint 1, leading to a potential for talocalcaneonavicular fluid to favor the spring ligament recess during significant fluid buildup.  

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads