Ankle is the joint where the leg and the foot meet. The ankle joint enables the foot to move up and down.
Each leg has two bony bumps—one on each side—that we commonly call the ankles. These bumps are formed by the ends of the lower leg bones, the tibia and the fibula. Below the leg bones are seven tarsal bones, which extend about halfway down the foot. The top of the talus, the highest tarsal bone, fits between the ends of the tibia and the fibula and moves between them like a hinge. The Achilles tendon links the heel bone—the largest tarsal bone—to the calf muscles and helps move the ankle joint.
Three small joints among the tarsal bones enable the foot to move sideways. Many strong, cordlike tissues called ligaments connect the tarsal bones to the leg bones, to the bones lower in the foot, and to one another. If one of these ligaments is torn, a sprained ankle results.
