Cuneiform bones


There are three cuneiform bones in the human foot:
  • the first or medial cuneiform
  • the second or intermediate cuneiform, also known as the middle cuneiform
  • the third or lateral cuneiform
They are located between the navicular bone and the first, second and third metatarsal bones and are medial to the cuboid bone.

Structure

There are three cuneiform bones:
  1. The medial cuneiform is the largest of the cuneiforms. It is situated at the medial side of the foot, anterior to the navicular bone and posterior to the base of the first metatarsal. Lateral to it is the intermediate cuneiform. It articulates with four bones: the navicular, second cuneiform, and first and second metatarsals. The tibialis anterior and fibularis longus muscle inserts at the medial cuneiform bone.
  2. The intermediate cuneiform is shaped like a wedge, the thin end pointing downwards. The intermediate cuneiform is situated between the other two cuneiform bones, and articulates with the navicular posteriorly, the second metatarsal anteriorly and with the other cuneiforms on either side.
  3. The lateral cuneiform intermediate in size between the other two cuneiform bones, is also wedge-shaped, the base being uppermost. It occupies the center of the front row of the tarsal bones, between the intermediate cuneiform medially, the cuboid laterally, the navicular posteriorly and the third metatarsal in front. The tibialis posterior inserts at the lateral cuneiform, while the flexor hallucis brevis originates from it.

    Muscle attachments

Injuries

  • Lisfranc fracture – in which one or all of the metatarsals are displaced from the tarsus
  • Cuneiform fracture - Due to the ligamentous support of the midfoot, isolated cuneiform fractures are rare

    Additional images

Other animals