Taken for granted, used and abused, and squeezed into stylish, but uncomfortable shoes, our feet are simply marvelous.
The human foot is one of the most complex structures in the body. It has more than 100 moving parts that include 28 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles, over 100 tendons and ligaments, and more than 200,000 nerve endings. Absorbing impact and bearing the entire weight of the body, all of these moving parts work together so that our feet can perform their important, primary functions—enabling us to walk, run, and maintain balance.
Because the foot’s structure is so complicated, it is prone to injury, including traumatic and repetitive use injuries such as sprains, strains, torn ligaments, broken bones, tendonitis, and diseases and disorders such as arthritis, fallen arches, bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis. These injuries, diseases, and disorders do not only cause pain, but can also significantly impair quality of life and lead to loss of mobility.
Did You Know?
The pinky toe is of little value, and those who were born without or lost one or both pinky toes notice very little effect on or change in their activities.
The foot is divided into three parts:
Forefoot
The forefoot is comprised of 21 bones: the phalanges, metatarsal bones, and sesamoid bones.
The phalanges (toes) consist of 14 bones. The big toe has two bones, and the remaining four have three bones each.
The metatarsal consists of five long bones extending from the base of each toe to the midfoot. The metatarsal bones in the big toe have a vital role in forward motion, while the remaining four metatarsals provide stability.
The sesamoids are two pea-shaped bones embedded in a tendon running below the first metatarsal bone at the bottom of the foot. These bones stabilize and reduce stress on the tendon.
Midfoot
Seven tarsal bones help form the arch of the foot. Five of these bones are found in the midfoot. These five are called distal tarsal bones—distal, meaning the little toe side of the foot.
The navicular bone is a C-shaped bone in the heel that articulates (hinges) the five tarsal bones.
The cuboid bone is cube-shaped and sits next to the navicular bone. It is immovable and supports the arch of the foot.
Three cuneiform bones—the medial, intermediate, and lateral—are highly mobile and make up the actual arch of the foot.
Hindfoot
There are only two bones in the hindfoot. Collectively, they are called the proximal tarsal bones—proximal, meaning the big toe side of the foot. They transmit the weight of the entire body to the foot. These tarsal bones are the calcaneus (the heel bone) and the talus (an ankle bone that sits near the calcaneus and between the tibia and fibula).
While the foot provides a solid foundation on which the body stands, the toes have the crucial job of helping the foot to maintain balance by helping with weight distribution, and providing the necessary push forward (propulsion) during activities like walking and running. They anchor the body to the ground and contribute to the foot’s shock absorption. All ten toes are essential, but the big toe is the powerhouse. It bears most of our body weight with a weight-bearing capacity double the nine other toes combined.
“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.” Job 23:10, 11
Thank you, Lord, for our marvelous feet.
Sources: verywellhealth.com/foot-anatomy-and-physiology; helpshoe.com/toes-importance