The capital bone · jing gu

Also rendered: Capital bone (plain, and it keeps 京) · Fifth metatarsal base (precise, and it is modern) · Outer foot boss (descriptive, and it is not a term)

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Reviewed · 2026-10-24

At a glance

Pinyin: jīng gǔ
Simplified: 京骨
Literal: 京 jīng — a mound, a capital, the raised centre of a plain; 骨 gǔ — bone. The name describes the prominence on the outer edge of the foot, and later attaches to the point beside it.
Shuowen: 《說文》：京，人所為絕高丘也。「京骨」本篇2見，為足外側量骨之準：外踝以下至京骨三寸，京骨以下至地一寸。

In brief

The tuberosity at the base of the fifth metatarsal, the last landmark of the leg measurement. From the outer ankle to it is three cun, and from it to the ground is one cun. In this chapter it is a bone and nothing more; the same name later becomes the name of the bladder channel’s source point, which lies on the same prominence, and the commentators who read the point back into the measurement confuse a landmark with an address.

Senses in the classical corpus

The landmark 外踝以下至京骨長三寸

外踝以下到京骨长三寸

From the outer ankle to the capital bone is three cun.

外踝以下至京骨長三寸 — 靈樞·骨度

To the ground 京骨以下至地長一寸

京骨以下到地长一寸

From the capital bone to the ground is one cun.

京骨以下至地長一寸 — 靈樞·骨度

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display

2 passages

靈樞·骨度 Read in context →

角以下至柱骨長一尺，行腋中不見者長四寸。腋以下至季脅長一尺二寸，季脅以下至髀樞長六寸，髀樞以下至膝中長一尺九寸。膝以下至外踝長一尺六寸，外踝以下至京骨長三寸，京骨以下至地長一寸。角以下至柱骨长一尺，行腋中不见者长四寸。腋以下至季胁长一尺二寸，季胁以下至髀枢长六寸，髀枢以下至膝中长一尺九寸。膝以下至外踝长一尺六寸，外踝以下至京骨长三寸，京骨以下至地长一寸。

jiǎo yǐ xià zhì zhù gǔ cháng yī chǐ, xíng yè zhōng bù jiàn zhě cháng sì cùn. yè yǐ xià zhì jì xié cháng yī chǐ èr cùn, jì xié yǐ xià zhì bì shū cháng liù cùn, bì shū yǐ xià zhì xī zhōng cháng yī chǐ jiǔ cùn. xī yǐ xià zhì wài huái cháng yī chǐ liù cùn, wài huái yǐ xià zhì jīng gǔ cháng sān cùn, jīng gǔ yǐ xià zhì dì cháng yī cùn.

From the corner of the forehead to the collar bone is one chi; the part that runs inside the axilla and is not seen is four cun. From the axilla down to the lateral ribs is one chi two cun; from the lateral ribs down to the hip joint is six cun; from the hip joint down to the middle of the knee is one chi nine cun. From the knee down to the outer ankle is one chi six cun; from the outer ankle down to the capital bone is three cun; from the capital bone to the ground is one cun.

「京骨」本篇2見，皆在足部量骨之末，一自外踝來，一至地止。

靈樞·厥病 Read in context →

厥心痛，與背相控，善瘈，如從後觸其心，傴僂者，腎心痛也，先取京骨、崑崙，發狂不已，取然谷。厥心痛，与背相控，善瘈，如从后触其心，伛偻者，肾心痛也，先取京骨、昆仑，发狂不已，取然谷。

jué xīn tòng, yǔ bèi xiāng kòng, shàn chì, rú cóng hòu chù qí xīn, yǔ lǚ zhě, shèn xīn tòng yě, xiān qǔ jīng gǔ, kūn lún, fā kuáng bù yǐ, qǔ rán gǔ.

For jue heart pain drawing on the back, with easy convulsion, as if the heart were touched from behind, and a stooped back, it is kidney heart pain. Take Jinggu and Kunlun first; if madness does not stop, take Rangu.

「京骨」厥病第11段見，義與本條相合，引全段為證。

Compounds built on this term

京骨

jīng gǔ

the capital bone

第五蹠骨粗隆

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This site	the capital bone	the text's own name
Literal	mound bone	exact, and it is obscure
Clinical	the fifth metatarsal tuberosity	clear, and it is later anatomy

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-10-24

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Reading path

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