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Anatomy of the Foot

A total of twenty-six bones, joints and soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons) make up the very complex structure of the foot. The metatarsal bones end at the ball of the foot which is where a lot of pain occurs. The foot is flexible as a result of the thirty-three joints and movement is controlled by the twenty muscles. The bones and muscles are connected by tendons while the whole foot is held together by more than 100 ligaments. The strongest ligament in the body may well be the long plantar ligament, also known as the plantar fascia.

Two arches, the transverse or metatarsal and the longitudinal, support each foot. The transverse arch is located across the ball of the foot and bears most of the body's weight. The longitudinal arch is located at the instep and flattens while standing and shortens while sitting or lying down.

Even though every person walks differently, each step has something in common. The heel comes in contact with the ground first and then the entire foot bears all of your weight in mid-step, you push off by the ball of your foot onto your toes.