Types of Bones in the Foot

The human foot is more than just an extension of the human leg. Without the foot you wouldn't be able to balance, propel yourself forward, stand on your tip toes to reach for something, or kick a ball. Unfortunately, there are many people who know the difficulties associated with the loss or lack of one or both feet. The human foot is a complex jigsaw puzzle of bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

The Foot

The human foot is a combination of flexibility, strength and mobility. The skin provides protection, the blood and nerves provide sustenance and direction, the muscles provide strength and mobility, but the bones of the foot provide the foundation for everything else--without the bones, the foot would be a fleshy cyst beneath your ankle.

Features

The human foot and ankle contain 26 bones (from the large heel bone to the tiny bones of the toes), 33 joints and tendons to hold them all together. Why does the foot need so many bones? The foot not only needs to be strong, it also needs to be flexible. If the foot were made of one large bone, it wouldn't be able to bend in order to propel the person forward, or take impact from jumping or running. One large foot bone would shatter. Dozens of little bones stitched together by flexible muscle fibers can bend, twist, and act as shock absorbers.

Forefoot

The human foot is made up for three separate sections. The forefoot is comprised of the toes, the joints connecting the toes to their longer counterparts and the tendons that allows the toes to flex. The forefoot is the part of the foot that bares the body's weight when walking, running or standing on the "balls" of your feet.

Midfoot

This part of the foot is what makes up the arch of the foot. The bones here are shaped strangely and held together with long tendons that also connect the five irregular tarsal bones to the front and back of the foot. The shape of these tarsal bones dictates the height of the arch of your foot. This part of the foot is mostly used as a shock absorber.

Hindfoot

This part of the foot contains the hinge joint that connects the foot to the ankle. The heel bone is one of the most important parts of the hindfoot because it takes a beating a keeps on going. The heel bone is put under tons of pressure a day as you walk, run and stand. Also, the heel bone is one of the hardest bones in the body next to the human skull. If this part of the foot is misaligned due to damage or strain, the rest of the body suffers (back pains, hip pains and balance problems).

References

• Podiatry Channel
• Bones in the Foot