Cuneocuboid interosseous ligament
Ligamentum cuneocuboideum interosseum
A strong, short ligament deep in the midfoot binding the lateral cuneiform bone to the cuboid across their facing surfaces.
At a glance
- English
- Cuneocuboid interosseous ligament
- Latin (TA2)
- Ligamentum cuneocuboideum interosseum
- System
- Ligament
- Region
- Foot
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the cuneocuboid interosseous ligament
The cuneocuboid interosseous ligament lies in the middle of the foot, between the lateral cuneiform and the cuboid. These two bones sit side by side in the distal row of the tarsus, and their facing surfaces are only partly covered by cartilage, where they form the small cuneocuboid joint. The rest of each surface is rough, and the interosseous ligament fills the gap between these rough areas.
It is made of short, dense fibres that run almost straight across from one bone to the other. Because it lies within the gap between the bones rather than on their surface, it is the strongest of the three ligaments uniting them. The other two are thinner bands: the dorsal cuneocuboid ligament on the upper surface of the foot and the plantar cuneocuboid ligament on the sole. Together they hold the lateral cuneiform firmly to the cuboid.
The cuneocuboid joint allows only small gliding and rotating movements, which add to the slight give of the midfoot as the foot adapts to uneven ground. The interosseous ligament is the main restraint on these movements. More importantly, by locking the lateral cuneiform to the cuboid it ties the medial and lateral columns of the foot together across the transverse arch, which is highest at this level of the tarsus.
Injuries to this ligament are uncommon on their own, but it may be torn in crush injuries of the midfoot and in fracture-dislocations of the tarsometatarsal region, which can extend proximally between the cuneiforms and the cuboid. Its integrity helps keep the transverse arch and the alignment of the lateral column after such injuries.
Attachments and function
- Attaches from
- The rough, non-articular lateral surface of the lateral cuneiform.
- Attaches to
- The rough, non-articular medial surface of the cuboid.
- Function
- Binds the lateral cuneiform to the cuboid, limits movement at the cuneocuboid joint and helps maintain the transverse arch of the foot.
Anthromica
See the cuneocuboid interosseous ligament where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
