There are 7 tarsal bones
There are 7 tarsal bones in each foot, forming the ankle, the heel and the back half of the foot. They are the talus on top, the calcaneus below it, the navicular in front of the talus, the cuboid on the outer side, and the medial, intermediate and lateral cuneiforms in front of the navicular. The talus forms the ankle joint with the tibia and fibula.
Frequently asked questions
Which tarsal bone is the largest?
The calcaneus. It forms the heel, and the Achilles tendon attaches to its back.
Do any muscles attach to the talus?
No. The talus joins the tibia and fibula above, the calcaneus below and the navicular in front, passing the weight of the leg to the foot, but no muscle attaches to it.
Why does the wrist have 8 bones and the ankle 7?
They are arranged differently. The carpals sit in two rows of four, while the tarsals are built around two large weight-bearing bones, the talus and the calcaneus.
The bones counted
- Talus
- Calcaneus
- Navicular bone of foot
- Cuboid bone
- Medial cuneiform bone
- Intermediate cuneiform bone
- Lateral cuneiform bone
Related counts
Other bone counts
- Bones in the human body
- Axial and appendicular skeleton
- Bones of the skull
- Bones of the spine
- Cervical vertebrae
- Thoracic vertebrae
- Lumbar vertebrae
- Number of ribs
- Bones of the arm
- Bones of the hand
- Bones of the leg
- Phalanges of the fingers and toes
- Bones of the pelvis
Skeleton
Read more
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