How many bones make up the foot?
It is composed of 26 bones, in addition to 33 joints and 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. This should give us an idea of the complexity of our organism, because in such a small part of our body, we find a large number of elements, which are all necessary for proper functioning.
Tarsal bones
The tarsal bones are a group of seven bones that make up the rear section of the foot.
Tarsal bones include:
- The talus, or ankle bone: The talus is the bone at the top of the foot. It connects with the tibia and fibula bones of the lower leg.
- The calcaneus, or heel bone: The calcaneus is largest of the tarsal bones. It sits below the talus and plays an essential role in supporting body weight.
- The tarsals: These five bones form the arch of the midfoot. They are the medial, intermediate, and lateral cuneiforms, the cuboid, and the navicular.
Metatarsal bones
The metatarsal bones are a group of five tubular bones in the middle of the foot. They connect to the tarsal bones and the phalanges.
The metatarsals sit in a row, and doctors number them one to five. The first one sits closest to the arch of the foot, and number five sits at the outer edge of the foot.
Phalanges
The phalanges are the bones in the toes. The second to fifth toes each contain three phalanges. From the back of the foot to the front, doctors call them the proximal, middle, and distal phalanges.
The big toe or hallux contains only two phalanges, which are proximal and distal. The metatarsal phalangeal joints are the joints between the metatarsals and the proximal phalanx of each toe. These joints form the ball of the foot.
The first metatarsal phalangeal joint sits in line with the big toe. It is a common area for foot pain and other problems.
