Have you ever thought about how many bones are in your feet?We all know that our body consists of 206 bones. But what about the bones in your feet? Ever thought about which bone does the feet use to walk you to your favorite destination? Or through which foot bone did you take your first baby steps?
The fact is that the foot is an end part of the leg that provides the support to the body. It consists of 33 joints, 26 bones, 100 muscles, and 107 ligaments. It is natural for joints and bones to get affected by injury or loss, therefore, damage to the foot can have a negative impact on the inner structure.
As far as the structure of the hand – in accordance with the foot – is concerned – they both have similar bone structure, but the foot is stronger, because it supports the weight of the human body.
The two bones, fibula and tibia (lower leg bones) start at the bottom end. Based on those pillars, the class of bones constructs the tarsals, which form the foot’s structure.
We have mentioned some exciting facts and anatomy of the foot bones, along with profound research in relation to how many bones are in your feet.
One-fourth of the body bones in the foot
The 26 bones of the foot comprise eight basic bones that include:
- Tarsal – The 5 midfoot uneven bones
This particular combination of the 5 midfoot uneven bones develops the bottom of the foot. These types of bones include the medial, cuboid, intermediate, lateral cuneiforms, and navicular (as can be seen in the image above).
- Phalanges – The 14 bones of the toe
The 14 bones that build the toe are based on two major phalanges, proximal and distal. Meanwhile, the other bones are called carpels, metacarpals, and intermediate phalanges, respectively.
- Calcaneus – The heel of the foot
Which one is the biggest bone of the foot? The answer is ‘Calcaneus’. This bone is present under the talus and its structure is pointed upwards, and the rest of the bones are directed to a downward edge.
- Sesamoids – 2 small bones
Sesamoids are the two particular bones that are found in the ball of the foot that is under the first metatarsal head.
- Metatarsals – The five bones
The metatarsals are 5 bones joined together to form the front part of the foot.
- Talus – The 2nd largest bone
Talus, the second largest bone of the foot forms the lower part of the ankle joint.
Major formations of the bones in the foot
Now let’s delve into the integral formations of the foot. They are mainly divided into the following categories.
- Distal phalanges
The distal phalanges are found at your toe’s end. Moreover, they effectively combine with intermediate phalanges that are further joined to form the proximal phalanges.
You can consider the toe bones to be identical to your fingers. Both hand and foot consist of five fingers. There are essential features of phalanges that range from distinct structure to having longer finger bones and flatter toe bones. They are also known as terminal phalanges.
- Middle phalanges
The middle phalanges play a vital role in formation of the toes of the foot. They are found in the middle of proximal phalanges and distal phalanges.
These particular bones support the muscles while an individual is walking. The bones of the toes remain intact via the ligaments.
- Dorsal tarsometatarsal ligament
The dorsal tarsometatarsal ligament connects the feet to the bones. It also interlinks cuneiform, cuboid bones, and metatarsal bones. There are eight strong and flat bands of ligaments in total.
- Flexor digiti minimi brevis
You must be thinking about what kind of name this muscle entails. The flexor digiti minimi brevis is found on the exterior edge of the foot bones.
One of the amazing facts about this muscle is that it constitutes the third layer of the foot’s sole. Meanwhile, the fourth layer is the steepest of all. The ultra-branch of the lateral plantar is the nerve of this particular muscle.
This muscle helps an individual to walk, runs, and make different foot-related movements.
This guide is primarily intended to give you a brief overview of, “how many bones are in your feet.”With a sprinkle of enriching facts to infuse your knowledge