Advice on Foot Care

The foot anatomy image to the left shows the bones and ligaments in the foot from a dorsal view (top of the foot).

A: phalanges
B: lesser metatarsals
C: 1st metatarsal
D: cuneiforms
E: cuboid
F: navicular
G: talus
H: calcaneus

The phalanges are the small bones in the toes. The metatarsals are the long bones in the foot. The heads of the lesser metatarsals correspond to the “ball of the foot”. The tarsal bones consist of the cuneiforms, the cuboid, the navicular, the talus and the calcaneus. The talus is also known as the ankle bone and the calcaneus is also known as the heel bone.

This image shows the lateral aspect (outside) of the ankle and foot. The peroneal tendons (peroneus longus and brevis) course down the outside of the leg and wrap around the lateral malleolus (bottom of the fibula) and function to stabilize the foot when walking. The extensor digitorum longus tendon courses down the anterior aspect (front) of the leg and the tendons attach to each of the digits. The extensor digitorum longus lifts up the ankle (dorsiflexion) and lifts up the toes.

This image on the left shows the plantar aspect (bottom) of the foot.

A: flexor hallucis longus
B: Flexor hallucis brevis
C: Flexor digitorum longus
D: Posterior tibialis

The flexor hallucis longus tendon plantar flexes (brings down) the foot and the big toe. The flexor hallucis brevis only plantar flexes the big toe. The flexor digitorum longus flexes the foot and plantar flexes the smaller toes. The posterior tibialis inverts the foot (brings the foot down and in).

In the image on the right, the medial aspect (inside) of the ankle shows the posterior tibialis tendon is seen as it courses down the back of the tibia (leg bone) and inserts in the foot at the navicular and other tarsal bones.

More foot anatomy images.
More about foot mechanics.

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