How many bones does the human foot have?
How many bones are there in each foot? It is very likely that the part of the human body that we have forgotten the most is the foot. It's down there and always wrapped in a sock, slippers or summer flip-flops, almost invisible. Now, this member is one of the structures of the human body that has more bones, along with the hands.
Almost half of the total of all bones in our body are concentrated in both extremities. Nothing more and nothing less than 26 bones in each foot. However, How do bones organize the human foot? Let's see it
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The 3 parts of the human foot according to your bones
The human foot represents a fundamental part of our body, since they are our main motor for a correct mobility, as well as the sustenance to keep us straight. The curiosity lies in the complexity of their bone formation. As we saw in the previous section, the foot is formed by more than twenty bones divided into three different groups, which are the phalanges, the tarsus and the metatarsus.
At this point we will make a brief description of the three parts of the bones of the human foot .
1. The tarsus
The tarsus connects the foot with the tibia and the fibula , which has 7 bones such as the calcaneus, talus, cuboid, navicular and, finally, the internal, middle and external cuneiform bones.
2. The metatarsal
There are five bones that make up the metatarsal, the ossa metatarsalia in medical terms: first metatarsal, second metatarsal, third metatarsal, fourth metatarsal and fifth metatarsal.
3. The phalanges
It is one of the most complex parts of the bones of the human foot, since the phalanges consist of 14 bones in total. They are three phalanges for each toe (except for the thumb that only has two) and are separated by three sections: proximal, middle and distal phalanx.
The most common lesions of the foot
Certainly, the foot has a high ratio of injuries taking into account the function so basic to the functioning of the human body. The foot is a member that, apart from its 26 bones, It has 33 joints and about 120 tendons, ligaments and various muscles . Therefore, there are common injuries that affect a significant part of the population.
The flat feet or "fall of the arch, represents 70% of the injuries of the human foot. In this case the specialist podiatrist will recommend some templates to correct the curvature of the plant. Overweight is an extremely incisive factor in this type of problems, so having a correct control of body weight will prevent future complications.
The so-called "bunions" also pose a headache to more than one. These form a hard mass in the joint of the big toe that disturbs noticeably when moving this area , as well as calluses, the result of friction / friction and the pressure exerted by the footwear on the fingers.
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Some recommendations
Taking into account the importance of the foot, it is important to take into consideration some recommendations for good care of the bones and joints that comprise it. The bones of the foot, if they break, They are usually complicated to cure , since no finger can be cast to straighten the break or accelerate bone regeneration.
We must also worry about hygiene, warn the professionals, since the feet are carriers of bacteria and microbes that seep below the nails and the hairs of the fingers . Keeping your feet dry, clean and with well-trimmed nails will prevent many painful infections and often produce bad odors.
A good footwear is another precaution to take into account, since the discomfort in the foot causes hip, back and cervical pains.
Bibliographic references:
- Buikstra, J.E .; D.H. Ubelaker (1994). Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Arkansas Archaeological Survey.
- Mammal anatomy: an illustrated guide. (2020). New York: Marshall Cavendish.
