
The navicular bone is found in the feet of most mammals. In humans, it is one of the tarsal bones, located in the midfoot on the medial side of the foot. The navicular bone is the last of the foot bones to start ossification and is the last bone of the foot to ossify fully. The navicular bone gives attachment to the spring ligament, which can be injured in a failure of the posterior tibialis tendon. The only muscle that attaches to the navicular bone is the tibialis posterior muscle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Midfoot, medial side of the foot |
| Shape | Boat-like, small, irregular, pyriform |
| Ossification | Last bone of the foot to ossify fully, usually between 18-24 months for girls and 30-36 months for boys |
| Ligaments | Dorsal cuneonavicular, plantar cuneonavicular, dorsal talonavicular, plantar calcaneonavicular (spring ligament), talonavicular, cuboidonavicular |
| Muscles | Tibialis posterior |
| Blood Supply | Watershed blood supply in the central navicular, branches of the medial plantar artery, dorsalis pedis artery, and posterior tibial artery |
| Innervation | Medial plantar and deep fibular nerves |
| Variants | Accessory navicular bone (types I, II, and III), bipartite navicular bone |
| Associated Conditions | Navicular Stress Syndrome, Müller Weiss syndrome, Koehlers syndrome, Navicular Disease/Syndrome (in horses) |
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What You'll Learn

The tibialis posterior muscle attaches to the navicular tuberosity
The tibialis posterior is the only muscle that attaches to the navicular tuberosity. The navicular bone is found in the midfoot and is one of the tarsal bones. Its name is derived from its resemblance to a small boat, caused by the strongly concave proximal articular surface. The navicular bone articulates proximally with the head of the talus, distally with the three cuneiform bones, and laterally with the cuboid. It is the last of the foot bones to start ossification, usually at the end of the third year in girls and the beginning of the fourth year in boys.
The tibialis posterior muscle attaches mainly to the navicular tuberosity, but tendinous slips run through the groove to reach all three cuneiforms, the cuboids, and the middle three metatarsals. The navicular tuberosity is a large protuberance on the inferomedial aspect of the navicular bone. It is palpable 2.5 cm distal to the medial malleolus. The navicular tuberosity is separated medially from the plantar surface by a groove.
The navicular bone is subject to various clinical conditions, including stress fractures, which can lead to Navicular Stress Syndrome. Müller Weiss syndrome is a spontaneous adult-onset osteonecrosis of the navicular bone that may be detected radiographically. In children, a similar but distinct condition is known as Koehlers syndrome. The navicular is also clinically significant in the Navicular Drop Test, used as a measure of foot pronation.
In about 5% of the population, an accessory navicular bone is present, arising from a different ossification centre near the navicular tuberosity. There are three types of accessory navicular bones: Type I, a small sesamoid bone located at the level of the inferior calcaneonavicular ligament within the tibialis posterior tendon; Type II, an accessory bone connected to the navicular by fibrocartilage or hyaline cartilage; and Type III, a fused variant of Type II, joined to the navicular bone by a bony ridge.
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The navicular bone is found in the midfoot
The navicular bone articulates proximally with the head of the talus bone, laterally with the cuboid bone, and distally with the lateral, intermediate, and medial cuneiform bones. The dorsal cuneonavicular ligament and plantar cuneonavicular ligament join the navicular to the three cuneiforms. The dorsal talonavicular ligament attaches the dorsal surface of the navicular bone to the neck of the talus. The tibialis posterior is the only muscle that attaches to the navicular bone, specifically to the navicular tuberosity.
The navicular tuberosity is a prominent feature on the medial surface of the navicular bone. It is palpable and often easy to feel in the area directly anteroinferior to the medial malleolus. The tibialis posterior muscle attaches primarily to the navicular tuberosity, with tendinous slips extending to the cuneiforms, cuboids, and middle three metatarsals. The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament, part of the spring ligament, attaches to the lateral aspect of the navicular tuberosity.
The navicular bone is subject to various clinical conditions, including stress fractures and Navicular Stress Syndrome. Müller Weiss syndrome is a spontaneous adult-onset osteonecrosis that affects the navicular bone. In children, Koehlers syndrome is a similar condition that is distinct from Müller Weiss syndrome. The presence of an accessory navicular bone, an anatomical variant, can also be associated with certain pathologies.
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The navicular bone is one of the tarsal bones
The navicular bone has a boat-like shape, with a strongly concave proximal articular surface, and it articulates with several other bones. Proximally, it articulates with the head of the talus bone, laterally with the cuboid bone, and distally with the lateral, intermediate, and medial cuneiform bones. The dorsal cuneonavicular ligament and plantar cuneonavicular ligament are two ligaments that join each cuneiform bone to the navicular. The dorsal talonavicular ligament attaches the dorsal surface of the navicular bone to the neck of the talus, and the cuboidonavicular ligament connects the navicular and cuboid bones along their dorsal aspects.
The navicular bone is subject to various clinical conditions, including stress fractures and Navicular Stress Syndrome. Müller Weiss syndrome, an adult-onset osteonecrosis of the navicular bone, can be detected radiographically. In children, Koehlers syndrome is a similar condition that is distinct from Müller Weiss syndrome. The navicular region is also important in relation to lameness, particularly in horses, and is involved in a significant disease process called navicular disease or navicular syndrome.
The tibialis posterior is the only muscle that attaches to the navicular bone, specifically to the navicular tuberosity. However, tendinous slips from this muscle also extend to the three cuneiforms, cuboids, and middle three metatarsals. The navicular bone provides insertion for the posterior tibialis tendon, and injuries to this tendon can result in an adult acquired flatfoot deformity.
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The navicular bone is the last to ossify
The navicular bone is a small bone found in the feet of most mammals. In humans, it is one of the tarsal bones found in the foot and is located on the medial side of the foot. It is also one of the seven bones that make up the tarsus of the ankle and foot. The navicular bone is the last bone of the foot to ossify fully. In girls, this occurs at the end of the third year of their lives, and in boys, it occurs at the beginning of the fourth year. However, a large range of variation has been observed.
The navicular bone is one of the later bones in the midfoot to ossify. It appears approximately at three years of age. The process of ossification involves transforming cartilage into bone. This bone remodelling process is called endochondral ossification. The navicular bone derives from a single ossification centre, but in the presence of anatomical variation, it can arise from two ossification centres.
The navicular bone is located in the midfoot and articulates with the head of the talus, cuboid, and the three cuneiform bones. It gives attachment to the spring ligament, which can be injured in a failure of the posterior tibialis tendon. The posterior tibialis tendon is the only muscle that attaches to the navicular bone. The navicular bone is subject to developing stress fractures and can lead to Navicular Stress Syndrome.
The horse also has a navicular bone, which is a sesamoid bone located within the hoof. It lies on the palmar aspect of the coffin joint between the second and third phalanx. Navicular disease or syndrome may be responsible for as much as one-third of all cases of lameness in horses.
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Navicular disease is a significant disease process
The navicular bone is a small bone found in the feet of most mammals. In humans, it is one of the tarsal bones and is located on the medial side of the foot. It is the last bone of the foot to ossify fully, usually at the end of the third year in girls and the beginning of the fourth year in boys. The navicular bone articulates proximally with the talus, distally with the three cuneiform bones, and laterally with the cuboid. The tibialis posterior is the only muscle that attaches to the navicular bone. Tendinous slips from the tibialis posterior muscle attach to the navicular tuberosity, but they also extend to reach the cuneiforms, cuboids, and middle three metatarsals.
Navicular disease, also known as navicular syndrome, is a significant disease process that can affect horses. It is a major cause of lameness in horses and can be responsible for up to one-third of all cases. However, the understanding of navicular disease has evolved, and newer imaging techniques have revealed that damage to the soft tissues in the region may be significant contributors to lameness.
The navicular bone in horses is located within the hoof and lies on the palmar aspect of the coffin joint between the second and third phalanx. It is supported by the distal sesamoidean impar ligament and two collateral sesamoidean ligaments. The navicular bursa is found between the flexor surface of the navicular bone and the deep digital flexor tendon.
In humans, the navicular bone can be prone to developing stress fractures due to its region of watershed blood supply. This can lead to Navicular Stress Syndrome or Müller Weiss syndrome, an adult-onset osteonecrosis of the navicular bone. Osteonecrosis can affect the navicular bone due to its poor vascularization, especially in its central portion.
The presence of an accessory navicular bone, an anatomical variant found in 5% of the population, can also be associated with certain pathologies. There are three types of accessory navicular bones: Type I, a small sesamoid bone found within the tibialis posterior tendon; Type II, an accessory bone connected to the navicular by fibrocartilage or hyaline cartilage; and Type III, a fused variant of Type II joined to the navicular bone by a bony ridge.
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Frequently asked questions
The tibialis posterior is the only muscle that attaches to the human navicular bone.
The navicular bone is a small bone found in the feet of most mammals. In humans, it is one of the tarsal bones and is located on the medial side of the foot.
The navicular bone is one of seven bones that make up the tarsus of the ankle and foot. It articulates with the head of the talus, the cuboid, and the three cuneiform bones.
Navicular syndrome may be responsible for up to one-third of all cases of lameness in horses. It is a significant disease process that can also affect humans and lead to navicular stress syndrome.











































