Foot Skeletal Structure
The human foot is a biological masterpiece. Like a finely tuned race car or a space shuttle, it is complex, containing within its relatively small size 26 bones (the two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the body), 33 joints and a network of more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments, to say nothing of blood vessels and nerves.
Foot problems are among the most common health ills. Studies show that at least three quarters of the American populace experiences foot problems of some degree of seriousness at some time in their lives; only a small percentage of them seek medical treatment, apparently because most mistakenly believe that discomfort and pain are normal.
The disarticulated bones of the left foot, from above (The talus and calcaneus remain articulated)
1 Calcaneus
2 Talus
3 Navicular
4 Medial cuneiform
5 Intermediate cuneiform
6 Lateral cuneiform
7 Cuboid
8 First metatarsal
9 Second metatarsal
10 Third metatarsal
11 Fourth metatarsal
12 Fifth metatarsal
13 Proximal phalanx of great toe
14 Distal phalanx of great toe
15 Proximal phalanx of second toe
16 Middle phalanx of second toe
17 Distal phalanx of second toe
Bones of the tarsus, the back part of the foot
Talus
Calcaneus
Navicular bone
Cuboid bone
Medial, intermediate and lateral cuneiform bones
Bones of the metatarsus, the forepart of the foot
First to fifth metatarsal bones (numbered from the medial side)
Bones of the toes or digits
Phalanges -- a proximal and a distal phalanx for the great toe;
proximal, middle and distal phalanges for the second to fifth toes
Sesamoid bones
Two always present in the tendons of flexor hallucis brevis
Origin and meaning of some terms
associated with the foot
Tibia: Latin for a flute or pipe; the shin bone has a fanciful resemblance to this wind instrument.
Fibula: Latin for a pin or skewer; the long thin bone of the leg. Adjective fibular or peroneal, which is from the Greek for pin.
Tarsus: Greek for a wicker frame; the basic framework for the back of the foot.
Metatarsus: Greek for beyond the tarsus; the forepart of the foot.
Talus (astragalus): Latin (Greek) for one of a set of dice; viewed from above the main part of the talus has a rather square appearance.
Calcaneus: from the Greek for heel; the heel bone.
Navicular (scaphoid): Latin (Greek) for boat-shaped; the navicular bone roughly resembles a saucer-shaped coracle.
Cuboid: Greek for cube-shaped.
Cuneiform: Latin for wedge-shaped.
Phalanx: Greek for a row of soldiers; a row of bones in the toes. Plural phalanges.
Sesamoid: Greek for shaped like a sesame seed.
Digitus: Latin for finger or toe. Digiti and digitorum are the genitive singular and genitive plural -- of the toe(s).
Hallux: Latin for the great toe. Hallucis is the genitive singular -- of the great toe.
Dorsum: Latin for back; the upper surface of the foot. Adjective dorsal.
Plantar: adjective from planta, Latin for the sole of the foot.
