Anatomy of the Lisfranc Joint Complex

TLDR

The authors dissected the Lisfranc joint complex and examined frozen anatomical sections in frontal and sagittal planes, categorizing ligaments by topography (dorsal, interosseous, plantar) and course (longitudinal, oblique, transverse). They identified medial, central, and lateral compartments, a secondary joint line, and connections to the cuneoscaphoid articulation, noting that dorsal and plantar ligaments reinforce the articular capsules, interosseous ligaments are the strongest, and ligament characteristics vary widely in course, number, and insertions.

Abstract

The authors studied the Lisfranc joint complex using gross dissection and examination of anatomical sections of frozen samples in the frontal and sagittal planes. They distinguished a medial compartment, a central compartment, a lateral compartment, the secondary joint line, and the connections with the cuneoscaphoid articulation. The ligaments were divided on the basis of topography (dorsal, interosseous, and plantar) and course (longitudinal, oblique, and transverse). The dorsal and plantar ligaments reinforce the articular capsules. The interosseous ligaments are the strongest. A common characteristic of these ligaments is that they vary considerably in course, number, and insertions.