Which bone is a tarsal bone near the ankle?

• A. Talus
• B. Calcaneus
• C. Navicular
• D. Cuboid

Answer: (C)

The key idea is which tarsal bone directly forms the ankle joint. The ankle hinge is between the tibia, fibula, and the talus. The talus sits on top of the calcaneus and beneath the tibia/fibula, allowing up-and-down movement at the joint you feel as the ankle.

The navicular, by contrast, is a midfoot bone located in front of the talus, articulating with the talus proximally and with the cuneiforms distally. It’s part of the midfoot region rather than the ankle joint itself. The calcaneus is the heel bone behind the talus and forms the subtalar joint, while the cuboid is a lateral midfoot bone. So, near the ankle, the bone involved in the actual ankle articulation is the talus.