Spring ligament recess

The spring ligament recess is a collection of fluid that extends from the talocalcaneonavicular joint sitting between the medioplantar oblique and inferoplantar longitudinal sections of the spring ligament complex.

Radiographic appearance

MRI

The spring ligament recess is an important feature to consider when interpreting MRI of the foot, particularly in fluid-sensitive sequences, as its presence does not particularly indicate a tear . It appears as a tear-drop-like shape in both the coronal and sagittal plane, most commonly faces anterior-medial on the axial plane.

It is known to communicate with the talocalcaneonavicular joint , leading to a potential for talocalcaneonavicular fluid to favor the spring ligament recess during significant fluid buildup.