Anatomy of the Foot and Ankle

Anatomy of the Foot

With our feet under constant 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 importantly, shoes. The foot is an incredibly complex mechanism.

The important structures of the foot can be divided into several categories. These include

• bones and joints
• ligaments and tendons
• muscles
• nerves
• blood vessels

The healthy foot is made up of 26 bones, although it is not uncommon for individuals to have additional small bones called ossicles. The foot bones are divided into 3 sections (hind, mid, and fore foot). The hind foot is composed of the talus and calcaneus (heel bone). The mid foot is composed of the small, irregularly shaped bones between the hind foot and long foot bones (see the pic above). That leaves the long foot bones, pad of the foot, and toes for the fore foot.

Each bone has protective Articular Cartiledge cushioning it from rubbing directly against other bones. It allows the bones to move smoothly. It is elastic enough to act as a shock absorber and tough enough to last through a lifetime of regular use. Unfortunately, if it’s injured the healing process can be long due to limited blood flow and slow regrowth.

Anatomy of the Ankle

The important structures of the ankle can be divided into several categories. These include

• bones and joints
• ligaments and tendons
• muscles
• nerves
• blood vessels

The healthy ankle is a joint consisting of three bones, wrapped by ligaments and cushioned by thick cartilage. The three bones that form the ankle are the fibula, shinbone (tibia), and talus. The fibula and tibia make up the lower leg and their lower edge forms the top portion of the ankle. They rest on the talus, which is the uppermost bone of the foot.

The ankle joint acts like a hinge. But it’s much more than a simple hinge joint. The ankle is actually made up of several important structures. The unique design of the ankle makes it a very stable joint. This joint has to be stable in order to withstand 1.5 times your body weight when you walk and up to eight times your body weight when you run.

Normal ankle function is needed to walk with a smooth and nearly effortless gait. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the ankle joint work together to propel the body. Conditions that disturb the normal way the ankle works can make it difficult to do your activities without pain or problems.

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.

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