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Tuberosity of cuboid bone

The tuberosity of the cuboid bone is a prominent bony projection located on the plantar and lateral aspect of the cuboid, forming an important structural and functional landmark of the lateral column of the foot. It plays a key role in supporting the lateral longitudinal arch and serves as a guide for the course of the peroneus longus tendon.

It is a relevant structure in foot anatomy, biomechanics, trauma evaluation, and musculoskeletal imaging.

Synonyms

  • Cuboid tuberosity

  • Plantar tuberosity of the cuboid

Location

  • Situated on the plantar surface of the cuboid bone

  • Located posterolaterally in the midfoot

  • Anterior to the calcaneus

  • Posterior to the bases of the fourth and fifth metatarsals

  • Lateral to the lateral cuneiform

Anatomical components

  • Bony prominence of the cuboid

  • Groove for peroneus longus tendon:

    • Traverses the plantar surface near the tuberosity

  • Cortical shell with underlying cancellous bone

  • Adjacent articular surfaces:

    • Calcaneocuboid joint posteriorly

    • Tarsometatarsal joints anteriorly

Relations

Posteriorly:

  • Calcaneus (via the calcaneocuboid joint)

Anteriorly:

  • Bases of the fourth and fifth metatarsals

Medially:

  • Lateral cuneiform bone

Laterally:

  • Peroneus longus tendon

Inferiorly (plantar):

  • Plantar fascia and soft tissues

Superiorly (dorsal):

  • Cuboid body and dorsal midfoot structures

X-ray appearance

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

  • Tuberosity: Seen as a bony prominence on the lateral plantar aspect of the cuboid

  • Cortical outline: Smooth and well-defined

  • Best visualized on: Oblique and lateral views

  • Relationship: Located posterior to the bases of the 4th and 5th metatarsals

CT appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Tuberosity: Well-defined osseous projection from the plantar cuboid

  • Cortical margins: Smooth and sharply outlined

  • Trabecular pattern: Normal cancellous bone

  • Peroneal groove: Clearly visualized

  • Spatial assessment: Excellent for evaluating contour and subtle cortical irregularities

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Cortical bone: Low signal intensity

  • Cuboid marrow: High signal intensity

  • Tuberosity contour: Clearly delineated

T2-weighted images:

  • Cortex: Low signal

  • Adjacent joint fluid: High signal outlining articular margins

  • Peroneus longus tendon: Low-signal linear structure adjacent to the tuberosity

STIR:

  • Bone marrow: Uniform fat-suppressed signal

  • Tuberosity margins: Well visualized

  • Plantar soft tissues: Bright signal

Proton density fat-saturated (PD FS):

  • Bone marrow: Suppressed fat signal

  • Tendon and ligaments: Low signal against bright fluid and soft tissues

  • Peroneus longus groove: Well delineated

CT VRT 3D image

Tuberosity of cuboid bone

MRI image

Tuberosity of cuboid bone mri anatomy labelled image-img-00000-00000