The foot is a complex and wonderful structure, it is made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, 22 muscles and 107 ligaments. It is essential to know the importance of the foot over the rest of the body because it is here where sustenance originates, where walking begins and many of the irregularities in body postures that are caused by pathologies that arise in the feet .
The foot is so wonderful that it adapts to the irregularities of the ground, provides stability, cushioning the impact and somehow reuses the accumulated energy.
It is important to note that injuries to the feet affect the knee joint and vice versa.
In general, the foot is separated into 3 parts that are the following:
- 1.-Retropio
- 2.- Midfoot
- 3.-Forefoot
The functions of the 26 bones in the foot are: to hold, stabilize and cushion each step that is taken.
Hindfoot Bones
Talus: It is the only bone that articulates with the leg , fitting with the tibia and fibula forming the ankle joint that helps us raise or lower the tip of the foot. The talus bone has the characteristic of being the second largest bone found in the foot .
Calcaneus: It is located below the talus bone, and it is the largest bone in the entire foot , it has a fundamental role in maintaining balance since it is in charge of receiving all the impact when walking occurs, likewise it distributes the pressures to the rest of the foot .
Midfoot Bones
Scaphoid
Also known as navicular, its main function is to mechanically join the bones, on the lateral part it joins with the cuboid bone and on its anterior face with the cuneiform bones, in addition to providing stability to the foot .
Cuboid: This small bone is very similar in shape to a cube. It is located in the lateral area or little finger of the foot and its function is to transmit the force coming from the ankle to the rest of the foot , joining the medial part with the scaphoid, the posterior part with the calcaneus and the anterior part with the fourth. and fifth metatarsal.
Cuneiformes or wedges: They are a total of 3 bones that are located in the tarsus and form the metatarsal joint or also known as lisfranc.
First cuneiform or lateral cuneiform: It communicates with the scaphoid and the first metatarsal.
Second cuneiform or intermediate wedge: It is located between the first and third wedge.
Third cuneiform or internal wedge: It is located in the most internal part having the scaphoid behind and laterally with the cuboid.
Forefoot Bones
In the last part of the foot we find 5 metatarsals and 14 phalanges.
First metatarsal: Bone that communicates distally with the phalanges of the big toe. Its function is very important since together with the proximal phalanx they form the metatarsophalangeal joint, carrying out the impulse in the final phase of the march.
Second metatarsal: It communicates in its distal part with the second phalanx. It has the characteristic of being the most prone to stress fractures.
Third metatarsal: It communicates in its distal part with the third phalanx.
Fourth metatarsal: It communicates in its distal part with the fourth phalanx.
Fifth metatarsal: It communicates in its distal part with the fifth phalanx.
Phalanges: Each of the 5 fingers have three phalanges except for the big toe which only has two, explaining why the body only has a total of 14 phalanges on each foot, they have the characteristic of being the smallest bones in the foot and are highly articulable, their names are proximal, medial, and distal.
At the Footlab Mediprax Puebla foot evaluation clinic we are at your disposal to advise you and answer any questions related to pathologies in your children’s feet , we make rest insoles , insoles for runners , insoles for diabetics , insoles for athletes , orthopedic insoles for children and all kinds of custom-made orthopedic insoles