The calcaneus, talus and usually the cuboid are ossified at birth, while the cuneiforms and navicular appear over the first few years of life. The navicular is the last tarsal bone to ossify, and the calcaneal apophysis appears around 7 years and fuses in the mid teens.
- Calcaneus, cuboid + talus ossified at birth
- At 3 years secondary ossification centres for navicular, MTs + phalanges appear
- Secondary ossification centre for calcaneus is last to ossify at 10 years
- Accessory ossicles → os fibulare (lateral border cuboid) & os tibiale (medial aspect of navicular) present in 10% of the population
- Os trigonum (posterior lip talus) present in 13% of the population
Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.