A Patient’s Guide to
A P
Foot Anatomy
Montana Spine & Pain Center
500 W. Broadway
3rd Floor
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-327-1670 Fax: 406-329-5697
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Montana Spine & Pain Center 500 W. Broadway 3rd Floor
Missoula, MT 59802
Phone: 406-327-1670 Fax: 406-329-5697https://www.wendangku.net/doc/0612810826.html,
Introduction
Our feet are constantly under stress. It's no
wonder that 80 percent of us will have some sort of problem with our feet at some time or another. Many things affect the condition
of our feet: activity level, occupation, other health conditions, and perhaps most impor-
tantly, shoes. Many of the problems that arise in the foot are directly related to shoes, so it is very important to choose shoes that
are good for your feet.
The foot is an incredibly complex mecha-nism. This introduction to the anatomy of the foot will not be exhaustive but rather highlight the structures that relate to condi-tions and surgical procedures of the foot.This guide will help you understand ? what parts make up the foot ? how the foot works Important Structures
The important structures of the foot can be divided into several categories. These include ? bones and joints
? ligaments and tendons ? muscles ? nerves
? blood vessels
Bones and Joints
The skeleton of the foot begins with the talus , or ankle bone, that forms part of the ankle
joint. The two bones of the lower leg, the large tibia and the smaller fibula , come together at the ankle joint to form a very stable
structure known as a mortise and tenon joint.The mortise and tenon structure is well known to carpenters and craftsmen who use this joint in the construction of everything from furniture to large buildings. The arrangement is very stable.
The two bones that make up the back part of the foot (sometimes referred to as the hindfoot ) are the talus and the calcaneus , or heelbone. The talus is connected to the calcaneus at the subtalar joint . The ankle joint allows the foot
to bend up and down . The subtalar joint allows the foot to rock from side to side .
Just down the foot from the ankle is a
set of five
bones called
tarsal bones
that work
together as
a group.
These bones
are unique
in the way
they fit
together.
There are
multiple
joints between the tarsal bones. When the foot
is twisted in one direction by the muscles of
the foot and leg, these bones lock together and
form a very rigid structure. When they are
twisted in the opposite direction, they become
unlocked and allow the foot to conform to
whatever surface the foot is contacting.
The tarsal bones are connected to the five
long bones of the foot called the metatarsals.
The two groups of bones are fairly rigidly
connected, without much movement at the
joints.
Finally, there are the bones of the toes, the
phalanges. The joints between the metatarsals
and the first phalanx is called the metatarso-
(MTP). These joints form the
(M
phalangeal joint
ball of the foot, and movement in these joints
is very important for a normal walking pattern.
Not much motion occurs at the joints between
the bones of the toes. The big toe, or hallux,
is the most important toe for walking, and the
first MTP joint is a common area for problems
in the foot.
Ligaments and Tendons
Ligaments are the
soft tissues that
attach bones to
bones. Ligaments
are very similar
to tendons. The
difference is that
tendons attach
muscles to bones.
Both of these
structures are made up of small fibers of a
material called collagen. The collagen fibers
are bundled together to form a rope-like struc-
ture. Ligaments and tendons come in many
different sizes, and like rope, are made up of
many smaller fibers. The thicker the ligament
(or tendon) the stronger the ligament (or
tendon) is.
The large Achilles tendon is the most impor-
tant tendon for walking, running, and jumping.
It attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone
to allow us to raise up on our toes. The poste-
rior tibial tendon attaches one of the smaller
muscles of the calf to the underside of the
Collagen
foot. This tendon helps support the arch and
allows us to turn the foot inward. The toes
have tendons attached that bend the toes down
(on the bottom of the toes) and straighten the
toes (on the top of the toes). The anterior tibial
tendon allows us to raise the foot. Two tendons
run behind the outer bump of the ankle (called
the lateral malleolus) and help turn the foot
outward.
Many small ligaments hold the bones of the
foot together. Most of these ligaments form
part of the joint capsule around each of the
joints of the foot. A joint capsule is a water-
tight sac that forms around all joints. It is made
up of the ligaments around the joint and the
soft tissues between the ligaments that fill in
the gaps and form the sac.
Muscles
Most of the motion of the foot is caused by
the stronger muscles in the lower leg whose
tendons connect in the foot. Contraction of
the muscles in the leg is the main way that we
move our feet to stand, walk, run, and jump.
There are numerous small muscles in the foot.
While these muscles are not nearly as impor-
tant as the small muscles in the hand, they do
affect the way that the toes work. Damage to
some of these muscles can cause problems.
Most of the are arranged
ar
muscles of the foot
in layers on the sole of the foot (the plantar
surface). There they connect to and move the
toes as well as provide padding underneath the
sole of the foot.
Nerves
The main nerve to the foot, the tibial nerve,
enters the sole of the foot by running behind the
inside bump on the ankle, the medial malleolus.
This nerve supplies sensation to the toes and
sole of the foot and controls the muscles of the
sole of the foot. Several other nerves run into
the foot on the outside of the foot and down the
top of the foot. These nerves primarily provide
sensation to different areas on the top and
outside edge of the foot.
Muscles of the foot
Tibial nerve
Other nerves
Blood Vessels
The main
blood supply
to the foot,
the posterior
tibial artery,
runs right
beside the
nerve of the
same name.
Other less
important
arteries enter
the foot from
other directions. One of these arteries is the
dorsalis pedis that runs down the top of the
foot. You can feel your pulse where this artery
runs in the middle of the top of the foot.
Summary
As you can see, the anatomy of the foot is very
complex. When everything works together,
the foot functions correctly. When one part
becomes damaged, it can affect every other
part of the foot and lead to problems.
Dorsalis pedis
Notes