Retinacular Disorders of the Ankle and Foot

Demondion, Xavier M.D., Ph.D.
Canella, Clarissa M.D.
Moraux, Antoine M.D.
Cohen, Michel M.D.
Bry, Régis
Cotten, Anne M.D., Ph.D.

¹Service de Radiologie et d'Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Centre de Consultation et Imagerie de l'Appareil Locomoteur, CHRU, Lille, France; ²Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine de Lille, Lille, France

Address for correspondence and reprint requests: Xavier Demondion, M.D., Ph.D., Service de Radiologie et d'Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Hopital Roger Salengro – 59037 - Lille CEDEX, France (e-mail: [email protected]).

Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology 14(3):p 281-291, September 2010.

The retinacula of the ankle are distinct structures defined as regions of localized thickening of the crural fascia covering the deep structures of the distal portion of the leg, ankle, and foot. Their role is to maintain the approximation of the tendons to the underlying bone. The retinacula of the ankle and foot contain the extensor retinaculum, the peroneal retinaculum, and the flexor retinaculum. Knowledge of the normal anatomy and imaging appearance of these structures is essential for the depiction of their injuries. Even though they may provide an explanation for chronic and unexplained residual pain after an injury, they are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed.