Chopart's joint

The Chopart joint or articulatio tarsi transversa is the articulation between the talum and the calcaneum with the tarsal bones.

Francois Chopart[edit | edit source]

It is named after the French surgeon Francois Chopart. He performed amputations in the area of the metatarsal joint in the 18th century. He himself did not write a publication about amputation, but other authors mention him in their works and thus made him famous.

General description of joint and joint line[edit | edit source]

The Chopart joint is a functional unit. It is a compound joint. The os naviculare and the talus are articulated at the articulatio talonaviculare. The os cuboideum and the calcaneus are joined at the articulatio calcaneocuboidea. Thus, the joint line is formed by the talonavicular fissure in the tibial part, which is convex distally, and the calcaneocuboidea, which is convex proximally. It resembles the letter S and is important both in terms of flexibility of the entire leg and in terms of surgical interventions. Forms a line during amputation of the distal leg (surgical exarticulation).

Ligaments – facies dorsalis

Ligaments – facies plantaris

Joint capsule and ligaments[edit | edit source]

The joint capsules are short and stiff and are reinforced by longitudinal, transverse and interosseous ligaments.

On the dorsal side:

lig. talonaviculare (dorsal);
lig. bifurcatum – starts from the calcaneus and splits distally into two ligaments;
- lig. calcaneonaviculare;
- lig. calcaneocuboideum.

After cutting the leagues. bifurcatum is a possible opening of the Chopart joint, among surgeons it is also called the key of the Chopart joint (clavis articulationis Choparti).

On the plantar side:

lig. calcaneonaviculare plantare' - the cartilaginous plate fibrocartilago navicularis is attached to it (it catches the head of the talus, supported from below by the tendon m. tibialis posterior);
lig. calcaneocuboideum plantare;
lig. plantare longum – a strong longitudinal ligament extending from the plantar surface of the calcaneus to the articulationes tarsometatarsales;
lig. cuboideonaviculare dorsale et plantare - ligaments strengthening the transverse foot arch.

Basic and intermediate position[edit | edit source]

Basic position - occupies the lower metatarsal joint while standing;

middle position - corresponds to the basic position.

Links[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

ČIHÁK, Radomír. Anatomie 1. 3. edition. Prague : Grada Publishing, a.s., 2011. 552 pp. vol. 1. ISBN 978-8-247-3817-8.