Calcaneus (heel bone)The largest bone of the foot. It sits under the talus and rests on the ground.
TalusIts top meets the tibia and carries the body's weight. The two malleoli grip its sides.
FibulaThe slender bone of the outer leg. It does not bear weight; its lower end forms the outer wall of the ankle joint.
Lateral malleolusThe lower end of the fibula. Its inner face meets the side of the talus.
Anterior talofibular ligamentIt joins the lateral malleolus to the front of the talus.
Posterior talofibular ligamentIt joins the lateral malleolus to the back of the talus.
Calcaneofibular ligamentIt runs from the lateral malleolus down to the calcaneus.
Inner side 4
Tibia (shin bone)The larger, weight-bearing bone of the leg, on its inner side. Its lower end sits on top of the talus.
Medial malleolusAn expansion of the lower end of the tibia. The name means little hammer. Its inner face meets the side of the talus.
Deltoid ligamentIt joins the medial malleolus to the talus, calcaneus and navicular. It resists the foot rolling outward too far (eversion).
Calcaneal tendon (Achilles tendon)The calf muscles pull on the heel through this tendon. It attaches to the back of the calcaneus.
How this list was compiled: Every name and detail checked on 2026-09-30 against OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 9.6 Anatomy of Selected Synovial Joints (the ankle: talocrural joint, talus, medial and lateral malleolus, deltoid, anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments), https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/9-6-anatomy-of-selected-synovial-joints, section 8.4 Bones of the Lower Limb (tibia, fibula, malleoli, talus, calcaneus), https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/8-4-bones-of-the-lower-limb, and section 11.6 (the calcaneal or Achilles tendon), and against Wikipedia, text only: Ankle, Deltoid ligament and Achilles tendon. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The top drawing is the right ankle from the outer side, toes to the right; the bottom one is the inner side. Together they hold the anatomical features of the talocrural joint, the ankle's formal name.
Read the full guide
Outer side first, then inner side
Numbers 1 to 7 are on the outer side: the heel bone and the talus above it, the thin fibula and its lower end, and the three ligaments that start from that end. Numbers 8 to 11 are on the inner side: the tibia and its lower end, the fan-shaped ligament below it, and the tendon down the back of the leg.
Each outer ligament is named for the two bones it joins: talo-fibular, calcaneo-fibular.
Lateral means the outer side of the leg; medial means the inner side, toward the other leg.
Questions and answers
What bones make up the ankle joint?
Three: the tibia and fibula of the leg and the talus of the foot. The lower end of the tibia sits on top of the talus, and the medial and lateral malleoli hold its sides.
What is the talocrural joint?
The anatomical name for the ankle joint; crural means leg. It is a hinge joint: it lets the foot point up (dorsiflexion) and down (plantar flexion) and little else.
What are the ligaments of the ankle?
On the inner side, the broad deltoid ligament. On the outer side, three smaller ones that start from the lateral malleolus: the anterior talofibular, the posterior talofibular and the calcaneofibular ligaments.
What is the difference between the medial and lateral malleolus?
The medial malleolus is the lower end of the tibia and makes the bump on the inner side of the ankle. The lateral malleolus is the lower end of the fibula and makes the bump on the outer side.