Going into pointe position when doing ballet requires extreme amounts of motion in the ankle for dancers to reach ankle plantar flexion positions. When going into ankle plantar flexion when on pointe shoes, there’s a part where the tibia, talus and calcaneus converge together that helps with stability as all of these 3 bones are “locked” together when they come in contact with one another. In order to create the plantar flexion necessary to go on pointe, there is also some mobility that needs to come from other sections of the foot to provide movement that is not possible from the ankle joint. There must be enough plantar flexion so that the metatarsals are aligned underneath the shaft of the tibia but not too much plantar flexion that your foot is going over. There should also be enough muscle strength to keep the front part of the foot going over which if that happens may create issues at the great toe joint, metatarsal cuneiform joint or at the talonavicular bone. Having sufficient foot length is also important to prevent foot sickling which also can contribute to foot injury. Being able to correctly hold the ankle and foot on pointe is essential to dancers to decrease the risk of injury.
