Ligament · Ankle

Lateral talocalcaneal ligament

Ligamentum talocalcaneum laterale

A short flat band on the outer side of the hindfoot, running downward and backward from the lateral surface of the talus to the lateral surface of the heel bone. It lies deep to and roughly parallel with the calcaneofibular ligament, close enough that the two are usually described in the same breath. The distinction is which joint each belongs to: the calcaneofibular crosses the ankle joint proper, where the foot points up and down, while this band belongs to the subtalar joint underneath it, where the heel tilts in and out. It is one of the short checks that stop that tilt going too far.