HINDFOOT ANATOMY

Additional Links
Clinical Trial Overview
About Augment Injectable Bone Graft
Hindfoot Anatomy
Am I a Candidate?
Glossary
Patient FAQs

 Hindfoot Anatomy. Whether returning an athlete to the game sooner or allowing a grandparent to play with their grandchildren late in life, Augment Injectable Bone Graft has the potential to improve patients outcomes.

What Bones and Joints Constitute the Hindfoot?

The hindfoot is formed by four bones:

  • the talus (ankle bone) that connects to the tibia and fibula in our lower leg to form the ankle, and
  • the calcaneus (heel bone), the largest and strongest bone in the foot.
  • the cuboid that lies on the outer portion of the foot below the talus (ankle bone) and
  • the navicular, a flat oval shaped bone lies below the cuboid bone.

There are three joints that make up the hindfoot. These three joints include the subtalar (talocalcaneal), talonavicular, and the calcaneocuboid.

How are the Hindfoot Joints Formed?

  • The subtalar joint is formed between the posterior surface of the talus (ankle bone) and the anterior portion of the calcaneus (heel bone).
  • The calcaneocuboid joint is the union between the calcaneus (heel bone) and the posterior surface of the cuboid bone.
  • The head of the talus (ankle bone) connects with anterior surface of the navicular bone to form the talonavicular joint.

Foot Fact: The average person walks 1,000 miles per year.

What Causes Hindfoot Injuries?

Many foot or ankle defects arise from an injury that may eventually lead to osteoarthritis. Some individuals are born with bone defects due to a congenital or acquired deformity that gets worse over time. Arthritis is an inflammation of the joint and is known to break down cartilage tissue in the joints. There are many types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post traumatic arthritis, and anklylosing spondylitis.

As we age, the symptoms in the arthritic joint often become worse and can, in addition to chronic pain, cause joint stiffness, swelling and loss of range of motion.

Our body weight is transmitted by the lower leg bones to the foot and ankle joints. Bone pain results when smooth cartilage tissue that lines the joint has worn away and can no longer provide a cushion between the bones. This allows exposed bone to wear against the adjacent bone creating pain in the foot after prolonged weight bearing activities.

Fusion of the hindfoot is a surgical procedure designed to immobilize the affected joint and eliminate the pain associated with movement.