“A good anatomical understanding of the ankle joint and the

forces that travel through it during exercise, is essential in helping clients with injury”

The joint is surrounded by tendons of the shin muscles attaching to the calcaneum and other bones of the mid- and fore-foot (excepting the talus).

Again as with the knee, the ligaments tighten when stretched, firing off stretch receptors which allow the spinal reflexes to contact the appropriate muscle to avoid/resist excess movement. During normal gait however the muscles control the movement of the foot and ankle to adapt to the underlying surface.

Conclusion The ankle joint and its related joints of the foot is great example of the incredible design and sophistication

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ON-LINE TO EARN CPD POINTS Please log in to the members area of the REPs website to give your answers

Q1 Q2 Q3 24

What kind of joint is the ankle? Is it: a. Mycovial hinge joint b. Synovial hinge joint c. Lycovial hinge joint

Which is the most stable position of the ankle? Is it: a. Fully dorsi-flexed b. Semi dorsi-flexed c. Fully plantar-flexed

What is the name of the main muscle for walking? Is it: a. Gastrocnemius b. Gluteus maximus c. Soleus

of the human body. The ankle takes the full weight of the body and, in running and jumping, the forces that are exerted on it are considerable. It is also able to accommodate an enormous variety of surfaces and forces, particularly those applied during different forms of sport and physical activity. A good anatomical understanding of this joint and the forces that travel through it during exercise, is essential in helping clients with injury, to recover, and ensuring freedom from injury on an ongoing basis.

With thanks to Primal Pictures for allowing us to use their superb animations and graphics. For more information please visit www.primalpictures.com

This article has been adapted from a series of anatomy refreshers published in sportEX medicine for which sportEX was nominated as a finalist in the 2010 Digital Magazine Awards. Visit www.sportex.net

THE AUTHOR

Dr Simon Kay, MBBS MRCGP DRCOG DIPL and MSc Sports medicine, is a member

of FSEM, BASEM, BMAS SOC and is Honoury Education Fellow at Exeter University. He is a full-time GP and sports physician based in Devon. He teaches students, GPs and sports therapists and has been medical officer to various rugby clubs. For more information visit www.sports-doctor.co.uk

online

Go online to view a series of animations and videos at http://bit.ly/REPsJournal

The REPS Journal 2011;20(March):22-24