Navicular bone
Os naviculare
The navicular is a boat-shaped tarsal bone on the inner side of the midfoot. It sits between the talus behind and the three cuneiform bones in front.
Loading 3D model…
Free 3D model of the navicular bone. Right foot. Drag to rotate, zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll), click a bone to highlight and name it.
Key points
- The navicular is a boat-shaped bone on the inner side of the midfoot.
- It sits between the talus behind and the three cuneiforms in front.
- It is the keystone at the top of the inner arch.
- A bump on its inner side anchors the main tendon that holds the arch up.
What is the navicular bone?
The navicular is one of the seven tarsal bones, found on the inner side of the midfoot. Its name comes from the Latin for "little ship", after its curved, boat-like shape.
Where is the navicular bone?
It lies just in front of the ankle on the inner side of the foot, at the highest point of the arch.
You can feel it. Slide a finger forward and slightly down from the inner ankle bump. The first firm bump you reach, two or three centimetres along, is the navicular tuberosity.
What does the navicular articulate with?
Its hollow rear surface receives the rounded head of the talus. Its front surface has three facets, one for each cuneiform.
On its outer side it often has a small contact with the cuboid. This makes the navicular the link between the hindfoot and the inner three toes.
What attaches to the navicular?
The tibialis posterior tendon attaches mainly to the navicular tuberosity. This muscle is the main dynamic support of the inner arch.
Underneath, a strong band called the spring ligament runs from the heel bone to the navicular and cradles the head of the talus.
What does the navicular do?
It is the keystone of the inner arch. Load coming down through the talus is passed forward through the navicular to the cuneiforms and on to the first three metatarsals.
Common problems with the navicular
The middle of the navicular has a limited blood supply, which makes it a site of stress fractures in runners and jumpers.
An accessory navicular is an extra piece of bone beside the tuberosity. It is a fairly common normal variant and can make the inner side of the foot look prominent. This page describes anatomy only.
Common questions
Is the navicular bone in the foot or the wrist?
The foot. The wrist bone once called navicular is now named the scaphoid.
What does navicular mean?
Little ship, from its boat-like shape.
What is the navicular tuberosity?
The bump on the inner side of the bone, where the tibialis posterior tendon attaches.
Which bones touch the navicular?
The talus, the three cuneiforms and often the cuboid.
Is this 3D model of the navicular bone free?
Yes. The interactive 3D model on this page is free to view and use for study, with no account or download needed. Its geometry comes from the open BodyParts3D data set (CC BY-SA).
About this free 3D model of the navicular bone
The interactive 3D model on this page is free to use in your browser, with no sign-up. It is built from scan-based anatomy data, so every bone is a separate, correctly placed shape you can turn and inspect from any side.