Talocalcaneal joint

Last revised by Yvette Mellam on 10 Jul 2024

The talocalcaneal joint, also called the clinical subtalar joint, is an important and complex joint in the hindfoot that allows articulation of the talus and calcaneus

Gross anatomy

It comprises three articulations between talus and calcaneus 1:

  • anterior: head of talus with anterior facet of the calcaneus; small articulation in size, just lateral to medial facet

  • middle: the medial (sustentacular) facet of talus with the middle facet at the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneus

  • posterior: posterior facet of the talus with posterior facet of the calcaneus; largest articulation in size

The anterior talocalcaneal articulation (anterior and middle facets) are often congruent and are part of a separate synovial cavity (talocalcaneonavicular joint) to the posterior talocalcaneal articulation.

The posterior talocalcaneal articulation (posterior facet) in isolation comprises the anatomical subtalar joint.

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