Ligaments are the soft tissues that attach bones to bones. Ligaments are very similar to
tendons. The difference is that tendons attach muscles to bones. Both of these structures are made up of small fibers of a material called . The collagen fibers are bundled together to form a rope-like structure. Ligaments and tendons come in many different sizes and like rope, are made up of many smaller fibers. Thickness of the ligament or tendon determines its strength.
Ligaments on both sides of the ankle joint help hold the bones together. make up the
lateral ligament complex on the side of the ankle farthest from the other ankle. (
Lateral means further away from the center of the body.) These include the
anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), the
calcaneofibular ligament(CFL), and the
posterior talofibular ligament (PTFL). A thick ligament, called the
deltoid ligament, supports the
medial ankle (the side closest to your other ankle).
Ligaments also support the lower end of the leg where it forms a hinge for the ankle. This series of ligaments supports the ankle
syndesmosis, the part of the ankle where the bottom end of the fibula meets the tibia. support this area. The ligament crossing just above the front of the ankle and connecting the tibia to the fibula is called the
anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL). The
posterior fibular ligaments attach across the back of the tibia and fibula. These ligaments include the
posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL) and the
transverse ligament. The
interosseous ligament lies between the tibia and fibula. (
Interosseous means between bones.) The interosseus ligament is a long sheet of connective tissue that connects the entire length of the tibia and fibula, from the knee to the ankle.
The ligaments that surround the ankle joint help form part of the . A joint capsule is a watertight sac that forms around all joints. It is made up of the ligaments around the joint and the soft tissues between the ligaments that fill in the gaps and form the sac.
The ankle joint is also supported by nearby tendons. The large is the most important tendon for walking, running, and jumping. It attaches the calf muscles to the calcaneus (heelbone) and allows us to raise up on our toes. The attatches one of the smaller muscles of the calf to the underside of the foot. This tendon helps support the arch and allows us to turn the foot inward.
The anterior tibial tendon allows us to raise the foot. Two tendons run behind the outer bump of the ankle (the lateral malleolus). These two tendons, called the peroneals, help turn the foot down and out.