Foot Anatomy Bones and Joints The human foot

Foot Anatomy: Bones and Joints. "The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. " — Leonardo da Vinci To take full advantage of the learning opportunities presented in this resource, Internet access is recommended, Also, view the presentation in “Slide Show” mode. Click on the “Slide Show” tab in your tool bar, then click on the “From the Beginning” tab. As an alternative, you may press the F 5 key as a shortcut to begin the presentation.

Bones of the Foot: An Overview. The human foot has 26 bones: • Seven Tarsal bones: • • • The Calcaneus; The Talus; The Navicular; The Cuboid; and Three Cunieforms. • Five Metatarsal bones. • Fourteen Phalanges.

Foot Anatomy: Bones, continued. NOTE: Referring to the image above, the two bones of the lower leg—the large tibia and the smaller fibula—come together at the ankle joint to form a stable structure known as a mortise and tenon joint. Think woodworking and carpentry: A mortise is a square hole made to receive a tenon as to form a joint, and a tenon is a projection at the end of a piece of wood that is shaped to fit into a mortise and form a mortise joint.

Foot Anatomy: Bones—A Closer Look. For a closer look, let's examine the bones of the foot by where they are located in the foot: the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.

Foot Anatomy: Bones: Hindfoot, Midfoot, Forefoot. The hindfoot is composed of two of the seven tarsal bones—the talus (ankle) and the calcaneus (heel bone)—and links the midfoot to the talus. The calcaneus is the largest bone in the foot. It joins the talus to form the subtalar joint. (More on joints later in this lesson. ) The midfoot contains the rest of the tarsal bones. It has five irregularly shaped tarsal bones, forms the foot's arch, and serves as a shock absorber. The bones of the midfoot are connected to the forefoot and the hindfoot by muscles and the plantar fascia (arch ligament). The forefoot contains the metatarsals and the phalanges. The five toes are called phalanges and their connecting long bones are metatarsals. Each toe (phalanx) is made up of several small bones. The big toe (also known as the hallux) has two phalanx bones—distal and proximal. It has one joint called the interphalangeal joint. The other four toes each have three bones and two joints.

Terminology Check. In addition to learning the bones of the foot, add these four terms to your vocabulary. 1. Plantar Fascia: Thick connective tissue that supports the arch on the bottom (plantar side) of the foot. 2. Hallux: The big toe. 3. Distal: Situated away from the center of the body, or from the point of origin; specifically, applied to the extremity or distant part of a limb or organ. 4. Proximal: Nearer to a point of reference, such as an origin, a point of attachment, or the midline of the body.

Foot Anatomy: Bones—Images: Medial and Lateral Views.

Foot Anatomy: Tarsal Bones. The tarsal bones are a series of bones that make up the region known as the tarsus, or more commonly known as the ankle. Here is a closer look at the tarsal bones that make up the ankle: • Calcaneus (heel bone) — You are already familiar with this one. This is the largest bone of the ankle region (and the foot. ) It constitutes the heel region, which is comprised of the Achilles tendon, tarsal sinus, and the tuber calcanei. Side note: The Achilles tendon is the most important tendon for walking, running, and jumping. • Talus (also referred to as astragalus and synonymous with ankle bone) — Again, this bone was mentioned previously but here is more information: The talus is the second largest bone of the ankle region. It allows motion and helps to transfer the body's weight to the foot. The talus has three regions: the head, the neck, and the body. • Cuboid — This bone helps to support the body's weight and locomotion, and helps maintain lateral foot stability.

Foot Anatomy: Tarsal Bones, continued. • Navicular — This is a relatively small bone that also supports the body's weight and locomotion. It is concave and resembles the shape of a boat. It is located between the talar head and the three cuneiform bones and has six surfaces. • Medial Cuneiform — Known as the first cuneiform bone, this bone plays a role in motion and support of the body. • Intermediate Cuneiform — A wedge-shaped bone, this bone is known as the second (or middle) cuneiform bone. It is the smallest of the three cuneiform bones. • Lateral Cuneiform — Also wedge-shaped, the lateral cuneiform also plays a role in motion and support. It is sometimes referred to as the third (or external) cuneiform bone.

Foot Anatomy: Metatarsal Bones. The metatarsal bones are a group of five long bones in the foot located between the tarsal bones and the phalanges of the toes. These bones lack individual names so they often are remembered numerically, starting from the medial side (the side of the great toe): 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th metatarsal. Their primary functions include foot motion, body support and providing shape of the foot. Note: The 1 st is the shortest of all the metatarsal bones, and the 2 nd is the longest of the metatarsal bones.

Foot Anatomy: Phalanges Bones. The phalanges bones make up the structure known as the toes. The great toe has two phalanges. The remaining four toes have three phalanges each. They all play an important role in the movement of the foot: • Proximal Phalanges — These bones are located at the base of the toes. • Intermediate Phalanges —These bones are located between the proximal and the distal; there are four on each foot. Note: The great toe does not have one. • Distal Phalanges — These are a series of bones found at the tip of the foot; there are five bones per foot.

Bones Knowledge Check 1. The foot is commonly “divided” into (blank) parts when analyzing / locating / identifying bones in the foot. A. Two. B. Three. C. Five. Answer: B: Three.

Bones Knowledge Check 2. The five toes are called phalanges and their connecting long bones are called (blank). A. Tarsals. B. Metatarsals. C. Cuneiforms. Answer: B: Metatarsals.

Bones Knowledge Check 3. Another word for talus is (blank). A. Forefoot. B. Ankle bone. C. Heel bone. D. The calcaneus. Answer: B: Ankle bone.

Bones Knowledge Check 4. The intermediate cuneiform bone is the (blank) of the cuneiform bones. A. Smallest. B. Largest. C. Longest. D. Widest. Answer: A: Smallest.

Bones Knowledge Check 5. The great toe has (blank) phalanges. A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Five. Answer: B: Two.

Bones Knowledge Check 6. The (blank) is the largest bone in the foot. A. Talus. B. Metatarsal. C. Cuneiform. D. Calcaneus. Answer: D: Calcaneus.

Bones Knowledge Check 7. The (blank) contains the metatarsals and the phalanges. A. Hindfoot. B. Midfoot. C. Forefoot. Answer: C: Forefoot.

Bones Knowledge Check 8. Another word for hallux is: A. Heel bone. B. Ankle bone. C. Big toe. D. Mortise joint Answer: C: Big toe.

Bones Knowledge Check 9. If something is situated away from the center of the body or from the point of origin / attachment, it is said to be (blank). A. Proximal. B. Subtalar. C. Cuboid. D. Distal. Answer: D: Distal.

Bones Knowledge Check 10. The hindfoot is composed of (blank) of the seven tarsal bones, the talus, and the calcaneus. A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four. Answer: B: Two.

Joints of the Foot: An Overview. A joint is the union of two or more bones, teeth, and cartilage in the body. Its primary function is to enable movement and/or to provide mechanical support. One way joints are categorized is by structure and function. Structural classifications look at joints based on the type of binding tissue that connects the bones to each other and are then categorized as fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial. The functional classification divides joints into three categories: synarthroses (not movable; fixed), amphiarthroses (somewhat movable), and diarthroses (fully movable). One common type of a structural joint is the synovial joint, which enables movements such as abduction, adduction, extension, flexion, and rotation. As for function, a synovial joint is diathrodial. Synovial joints account for most of the body's articulations (the point at which two or more bones meet). There are many classes of synovial joints, including gliding, hinge, saddle, and ball and socket.

Joints of the Foot: An Overview, continued. The human foot has 33 joints, 20 of which are actively articulated. The joints we will examine in this lesson include: • The Ankle Joint; • The Subtalar Joint; • The Talonavicular Joint; • The Calcaneo-Cuboid Joint; • The Tarso-metatarsal Joint (Lisfranc); • The Transverse Tarsal Joint (Chopart); The Talocalcaneonavicular Joint; The Calcaneocuboid Joint; The Cuneonavicular Joint; The Cuboideonavicular Joint; The Metatarsal Phalangeal Joints (MTPs); • The Interphalangeal Joints; and • The Intermetatarsal Joints. • • •

Foot Anatomy: Joints—A Closer Look. For a closer look, let's examine the joints of the foot as they relate to the hindfoot, the midfoot, and the forefoot.

Foot Anatomy and Joints: The Hindfoot. The hindfoot is composed of the ankle joint, also known as the tibialtalar joint, and the subtalar joint. The ankle joint is a synovial hinge joint, allowing for plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. It is made up of distal ends of the tibia and fibula, which form a socket that fits over the top portion of the talus. The subtalar joint, sometimes referred to as the "agility joint, " is also a synovial joint and is located between the talus and the calcaneus. This joint allows for inversion and eversion of the foot. The subtalar joint moves along with the talonavicular joint and the calcaneo-cuboid joint, two joints located near the front of the talus. The calcaneo-cuboid joint is located between the calcaneus and cuboid bones. The talonavicular joint spans to the mid-foot.

Foot Anatomy and Joints: The Midfoot. The midfoot consists of the tarso-metatarsal joint and the transverse tarsal joint. The tarso-metatarsal joint is comprised of individual joint capsules that articulate with the metatarsals and cuboid and cuneiform bones. Specifically, the first, second, and third metatarsals articulate with the three cuneiform bones, and the fifth and sixth metatarsals articulate with the cuboid bone. The tarso-metatarsal joint is also known as the Lisfranc joint. The transverse tarsal joint is also referred to as Chopart's Joint and is comprised of the talocalcaneonavicular joint and the calcaneocuboid joint. Also located in the midfoot: The cuneonavicular joint, located between the navicular bone and the three cuneiform bones and the cuboideonavicular joint, located between the navicular bone and cuboid bone.

Foot Anatomy and Joints: The Forefoot. The joints of the forefoot are the metatarsal phalangeal joints (MTPs), proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, and the great toe interphalangeal joint. Also, located between the bases of the metatarsal bones are the intermetatarsal joints.

Foot Anatomy: Bones and Joints Video. Watch the following video titled Anatomy of the Foot for an animated look at how the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels work together in the human foot. Click on the following video title: Anatomy of the Foot.

Joints Knowledge Check 1. The joint between the metatarsal and the first phalanx is called the: A. Subtalar joint. B. Metatarsal phalangeal joint. C. Interphalangeal joint. D. Transverse tarsal joint. Answer: B: Metatarsal phalangeal joint.

Joints Knowledge Check 2. The Subtalar joint allows a foot to: A. Bend up and down. B. Rock from side to side. C. Both of the above. D. Neither of the above. Answer: B: Rock from side to side.

Joints Knowledge Check 3. The Ankle joint allows a foot to: A. Bend up and down. B. Rock from side to side. C. Both of the above. D. Neither of the above. Answer: A. Bend up and down.

Joints Knowledge Check 4. The human foot has (blank) joints, (blank) of which are actively articulated. A. 33, 26. B. 33, 20. C. 23, 20. D. 14, 10. Answer: B: 33, 20.

Joints Knowledge Check 5. The Tarso-metatarsal joint is also known as the: A. Subtalar joint. B. Lisfranc joint. C. Agility joint. D. Charcot’s joint. Answer: B: Lisfranc joint.

Joints Knowledge Check 6. The Transverse tarsal joint is also known as the: A. Subtalar joint. B. Lisfranc joint. C. Agility joint. D. Charcot’s joint. Answer: D. Charcot’s joint.

Foot Anatomy: Bones and Joints. This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U. S. Department of Labor. The U. S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. Produced 2016. HOPE Careers Consortium is a partnership of five institutions of higher education that is building exciting new programs that will provide valuable career education and training in the Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (O&P) sector. The five institutions are: Baker College— Flint, Michigan; Century College—White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology—Okmulgee, Oklahoma; Spokane Falls Community College—Spokane, Washington; and St. Petersburg College—St. Petersburg, Florida. Although the authoring institution of this educational resource has made every effort to ensure that the information presented is correct, the institution assumes no liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions. Except where otherwise noted (images from Wikimedia), this work by Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4. 0 International License. To view a copy of this license, click on the following link: Creative Commons Licenses 4. 0.