The bones of the foot (ossa pedis) include the tarsal bones (ossa tarsi), the metatarsal bones (ossa metatarsi) and the phalanges of the foot (phalanges / ossa digitorum).

The metatarsus consists of five small tubular bones. Each metatarsal has three parts:

• base (basis ossis metatarsi)

• body (corpus ossis metatarsi)

• head (caput ossis metatarsi)

The base has an articular surface for articulation with the tarsal bones and the head has an articular surface for articulation with the proximal phalanges.

The head of the first metatarsal bone is split, with two small sesamoid bones (ossa sesamoidea) adjacent to it.

The fifth metatarsal bone has a tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal (tuberositas ossis metatarsalis V) to which the fibularis brevis is attached.

The spaces between the metatarsals are called intermetatarsal spaces (spatia interossea metatarsi).

Let us now examine the phalanges of the foot (phalanges

/ ossa digitorum pedis). There are the following toes:

• I – great toe (hallux)

• II – second toe (digitus secundus pedis)

• III – third toe (digitus tertius pedis)

• IV – fourth toe (digitus quartus pedis)

• V – little toe (digitus minimus pedis)

  

  All toes except for the great toe have three phalanges:

• proximal phalanx (phalanx proximalis)

  

• middle phalanx (phalanx media)

  

• distal phalanx (phalanx distalis)

  

  The great toe has no middle phalanx.

  The phalanges have three parts, just like the metatarsals:

• base (basis phalangis)

  

• body (corpus phalangis)

  

• head (caput phalangis)

The bases and heads of the phalanges have articular surfaces for articulation with other bones (depending on the phalanx it is either a metatarsal or another phalanx). And the ends of the distal phalanges are slightly flattened and contain the tuberosity of the distal phalanx (tuberositas phalangis distalis).

Dictionary

Metatarsals and phalanges

bones of foot

ossa pedis

tarsal bones

ossa tarsi

metatarsals

ossa metatarsi

phalanges of foot

phalanges/ossa digitorum

base of metatarsal

basis ossis metatarsi

body of metatarsal

corpus ossis metatarsi

head of metatarsal

caput ossis metatarsi

sesamoid bones of foot

ossa sesamoidea

tuberosity of fifth metatarsal bone

tuberositas ossis metatarsalis V

intermetatarsal spaces

spatia interossea metatarsi

great toe

hallux

second toe

digitus secundus pedis

third toe

digitus tertius pedis

fourth toe

digitus quartus pedis

little toe

digitus minimus pedis

proximal phalanx of foot

phalanx proximalis

middle phalanx of foot

phalanx media

distal phalanx of foot

phalanx distalis

base of phalanx of foot

basis phalangis

body of phalanx of foot

corpus phalangis

head of phalanx of foot

caput phalangis

tuberosity of distal phalanx of foot

tuberositas phalangis distalis