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Topic

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Navicular articular surface

The navicular articular surface refers to the smooth, hyaline cartilage–covered areas of the navicular bone that participate in articulations within the medial midfoot. These surfaces are essential for load transmission and mobility of the medial longitudinal arch and form key components of the talonavicular and naviculocuneiform joints.

It is a critical anatomical feature in foot biomechanics, orthopedic assessment, and cross-sectional imaging of the midfoot.

Synonyms

  • Articular surfaces of the navicular bone

  • Navicular joint surfaces

Location

  • Situated on the navicular bone in the medial midfoot

  • Posteriorly articulates with the talar head

  • Anteriorly articulates with the three cuneiform bones

  • Laterally articulates with the cuboid (variable)

  • Medial aspect forms the navicular tuberosity region

Anatomical components

  • Posterior articular surface:

    • Concave surface for articulation with the talar head

  • Anterior articular surfaces:

    • Three facets for medial, intermediate, and lateral cuneiforms

  • Lateral facet (variable):

    • Small surface for articulation with the cuboid

  • Cartilage covering:

    • Hyaline cartilage over all articular facets

Relations

Posteriorly:

  • Head of the talus (talonavicular joint)

Anteriorly:

  • Medial, intermediate, and lateral cuneiforms (naviculocuneiform joints)

Medially:

  • Navicular tuberosity

  • Insertion of tibialis posterior tendon (adjacent)

Laterally:

  • Cuboid bone (variable articulation)

Inferiorly:

  • Plantar ligaments and spring ligament complex

Superiorly:

  • Dorsal ligaments of the midfoot

X-ray appearance

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

  • Navicular articular surfaces: Seen as smooth cortical margins at joint interfaces

  • Talonavicular joint: Well-defined joint space posteriorly

  • Naviculocuneiform joints: Thin joint spaces anteriorly

  • Cortical continuity: Preserved outline of articular margins

CT appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Articular surfaces: Smooth, well-defined cortical margins

  • Subchondral bone: Uniform density beneath cartilage

  • Joint congruity: Clearly demonstrated at talonavicular and naviculocuneiform joints

  • Surface contour: Accurately assessed in multiple planes

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Subchondral bone: High signal from fatty marrow

  • Articular cortex: Low signal thin line

  • Joint spaces: Intermediate signal

T2-weighted images:

  • Articular cartilage: Intermediate-to-high signal relative to bone

  • Joint fluid: High signal outlining articular surfaces

  • Subchondral bone: Low-to-intermediate signal

STIR:

  • Marrow fat: Suppressed

  • Articular margins: Clearly delineated

  • Joint fluid: Bright signal

Proton density fat-saturated (PD FS):

  • Articular cartilage: Well visualized against suppressed marrow

  • Joint spaces: Bright signal

CT VRT 3D image

Navicular articular surface 3d

MRI image

Navicular articular surface mri anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000