• The foot has more than 100 ligaments.foot image by BVDC from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, the foot has more than 100 ligaments. These ligaments are bands of tissue that hold the 26 bones of the foot together at over 30 joints. These joints and ligaments give the foot its mobility.
  
  

Plantar Fascia

• The longest ligament in the foot is the plantar fascia, which forms the arch on the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes. The plantar fascia stretches and contracts, which lets the arch curve or flatten. This action provides balance and gives the foot strength to begin the action of walking.
  
  

Deltoid Ligament

• The deltoid ligament (also known as the medial ligament of ankle) connects the inside ankle bone (medial malleolus) to three bones in the heel (talus, navicular and calcaneus). The deltoid ligament has four parts: anterior tibiotalar ligament, tibionavicular ligament, tibiocalcaneal ligament and posterior tibiotalar ligament.
  
  

Lateral Ankle Ligaments

• Other major ligaments connecting the ankle to the foot are the three lateral ligaments: anterior talofibular and posterior talofibular ligaments, which connect the outside ankle bone (lateral malleolus) with the talus, and the calcaneofibular ligament, which connects the lateral malleolus with the calcaneus.
  
  

Spring Ligament

• The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament, also called the spring ligament, because it provides a spring-like action during walking, connects the calcaneus and the navicular bones. The spring ligament also prevents the head of the talus from pushing down between the calcaneus and the navicular bones.