164 ARTICULATIONS OF THE LOWEE LIMB. 



ligament, which, is a thin fasciculus of fibres extended between them ; 

 a plantar ligament, whose fibres are transverse and rather indistinct ; and a 

 bundle of interosseous fibres attached to their neighbouring sides. Between 

 the two bones a distinct articulation is formed by cartilaginous surfaces ; it is 

 provided sometimes with a separate synovial membrane, at others with an 

 offset from that which belongs to the scaphoid and cuneiform bones. 



The three cuneiform bones are connected by transverse dorsal ligaments 

 and strong interosseous fibres ; but the latter are their most efficient uniting 

 structures. A transverse plantar ligament exists only between the two 

 innermost bones. The articulations between these bones are lined by offsets 

 from the synovial membrane of the joint between them and the scaphoid 

 bone. 



ARTICULATION OF THE TARSUS WITH THE METATARSUS. The four anterior 

 bones of the tarsus, viz., the three cuneiform and the cuboid, articulate 

 with the metatarsal bones ; and as the first and third cuneiform bones pro- 

 ject beyond the middle one, and the third cuneiform beyond the cuboid 

 bone, the anterior surface of the tarsus is very irregular. The first meta- 

 tarsal bone articulates with the internal cuneiform ; the second is wedged 

 in between the first and third cuneiform, and rests against the second ; the 



Fig. 151. 



Fig. 151. THE SYNOVIAL CAVITIES OF THE ANKLE-JOINT AND THE TARSAL AND 

 TARSO-METATARSAL ARTICULATIONS, IN SECTION. 



The section has been carried obliquely upwards and inwards across the foot, and 

 vertically through the upper part of the astragalus and the tibia. 1, cut surface of tbe 

 tibia above the ankle-joint ; 2, placed on the astragalus above the posterior calcaneo-talar 

 synovial cavity ; 3, on the head of the astragalus close to the common calcaneo-talo- 

 scaphoid synovial cavity ; 4, interosseous calcaneo-talar ligament; 5, on the anterior edge 

 of the calcaneum, points to the calcaneo-cuboid synovial cavity ; 6, interosseous calcaneo- 

 cuboid ligament ; 7, on the scaphoid bone, marks the common scaphoido-cuneiform and 

 intercuneiform synovial cavity ; 8, on the cuboid bone, points to the interosseous gca- 

 phoido-cuboid ligament; 9, internal, 10, middle, 11, external cuneiform bones; 12, 

 cuboid : between these several bones the interosseous ligaments are shown ; from 13 to 17, 

 are the metatarsal bones, with the interosseous ligaments between them; 9 to 14, the 

 interosseous ligament from the internal cuneiform to the second metatarsal bone ; 11 to 

 16, the interosseous ligament from the external cuneiform to the fourth metatarsal bone : 

 there are also shown in this figure, the synovial cavity of the first tarso-metatarsal arti- 

 culation, that between the middle and external cuneiform bones and the second and third 

 metatarsal ; and that between the cuboid and the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones. 



