The midtarsal joint (‘Choparts joint’) is located towards the rear of the foot and is made up of four tarsal bones, which are the calcaneus, the cuboid, and the navicular. This joint is supported primarily by the calcaneocuboid ligament and the bifurcate ligament and is mainly a stabilizing joint.
A midtarsal joint sprain (‘Chopart’s sprain’) is an injury to one or more of the ligaments holding the tarsal bones in the middle of the foot together. Injury to the midtarsal joints is quite rare. However, it is much more common in sports that involve repetitive jumping on hard surfaces, such as gymnastics, tennis, and wrestling. Generally, a foot sprain is a tear of ligaments, which are graded into three separate types of severity, such as:
- Grade 1 foot sprain – Stretching or slight tearing of the ligament with mild tenderness, swelling, and stiffness. The foot feels stable and it is usually possible to walk with minimal pain.
- Grade 2 foot sprain – A more severe sprain, but incomplete tear with moderate pain, swelling, and bruising. Although it feels somewhat stable, the damaged areas are tender to the touch and walking is painful.
- Grade 3 foot sprain – This is considered a complete tear of the affected ligaments with severe swelling and bruising. The foot is unstable and walking is likely not possible because the foot gives out and there is intense pain.