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Anterior talar articular surface

The anterior talar articular surface refers to the smooth cartilage-covered surface on the anterior aspect of the talus, primarily forming part of the talonavicular joint. It plays a key role in hindfoot–midfoot articulation, enabling complex movements of the foot such as inversion, eversion, and rotation.

It is an important anatomical landmark in ankle and foot anatomy, orthopedic practice, and imaging evaluation of the hindfoot.

Synonyms

  • Talar head articular surface

  • Anterior talar facet

Location

  • Situated on the anterior aspect of the talus

  • Forms the talar component of the talonavicular joint

  • Anterior to the talar neck

  • Posterior to the navicular bone

  • Inferior to the talar trochlea

  • Superior to the calcaneonavicular (spring) ligament

Anatomical components

  • Convex articular surface of the talar head

  • Hyaline cartilage covering the subchondral bone

  • Continuous with:

    • Superior articular surface (trochlea) posteriorly

    • Medial and lateral talar facets

  • Supported inferiorly by the spring ligament

Relations

Anteriorly:

  • Navicular bone

Posteriorly:

  • Talar neck

Inferiorly:

  • Spring (plantar calcaneonavicular) ligament

Superiorly:

  • Talonavicular joint capsule

Medially:

  • Medial talonavicular ligament

Laterally:

  • Lateral talonavicular ligament

X-ray appearance

Plain radiographs (AP, lateral, and oblique foot views):

  • Anterior talar surface: Seen as part of the smooth contour of the talar head

  • Joint space: Clearly visible talonavicular joint line

  • Articular margin: Smooth, continuous cortical outline

  • Best appreciated on: Lateral and oblique views

CT appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Articular surface: Smooth, convex cortical contour of the talar head

  • Subchondral bone: Uniform density beneath the articular surface

  • Joint congruity: Well demonstrated articulation with navicular

  • Surface detail: Excellent visualization of articular geometry

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Subchondral bone: High signal marrow beneath low-signal cortical surface

  • Articular cartilage: Low-to-intermediate signal thin layer

  • Joint space: Low signal without fluid distension

T2-weighted images:

  • Cartilage: Intermediate-to-high signal relative to bone

  • Joint fluid: High signal outlining the articular surface

  • Surface contour: Clearly delineated

STIR:

  • Fat suppression: Uniform suppression of marrow fat

  • Articular surface margins: Well visualized

  • Joint recesses: Bright signal

Proton density fat-saturated (PD FS):

  • Cartilage: Well-defined intermediate-to-high signal

  • Subchondral bone: Fat suppressed

  • Joint space: High signal

MRI image

Anterior talar articular surface mri anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000