A young athlete sustains an eversion ankle injury and later develops a painful flatfoot deformity. MRI shows disruption of the ligament that supports the head of the talus between the sustentaculum tali and the navicular. Which ligament was torn?

• A Long plantar ligament
• B Plantar calcaneonavicular (spring) ligament ✓
• C Plantar calcaneocuboid (short plantar) ligament
• D Tibiocalcaneal ligament

Explanation

The plantar calcaneonavicular or spring ligament stretches from the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneus to the navicular and directly supports the head of the talus, forming part of the articular socket for the talocalcaneonavicular joint. Its rupture allows the talar head to sink, producing acquired flatfoot. The long and short plantar ligaments support the calcaneocuboid joint and the longitudinal arch more distally, while the tibiocalcaneal ligament is a component of the deltoid complex at the ankle mortise.

Reference: Gray's Anatomy for Students, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.