These bones are connected by joints with their capsules and strong ligaments. Together, they guarantee the stability and mobility of the foot, enabling it to perform its many tasks. The entire load of the body, the absorption of body weight and its transfer to the ground while walking and standing, as well as during all sporting activities, are made possible by the tarsal bones, which are arranged in two rows: a proximal row and a distal row. They are located between the ankle mortise of the lower leg (malleolar fork) and the metatarsus. The upper row consists of the heel bone (calcaneus) and the talus, which are the largest bones of the foot. The lower row contains the navicular bone (os naviculare), the cuboid bone (os cuneiforme) and the three cuneiform bones (os cuneiforme I–III). The talus is the highest-lying tarsal bone, located at the highest point of the longitudinal arch of the foot, and transfers the body’s load to the remaining tarsal bones. It is a very special bone because it has no muscle attachments; instead, it is inserted between the surrounding bones. The metatarsal bones spread slightly toward the ball of the foot, like a lawn rake. At the ball of the foot, they are not connected to one another by joints but by ligaments. This allows the ball of the foot considerable flexibility. In combination with the mobile toes, the foot can therefore adapt to different surfaces. With the exception of the talus, all the bones of the foot are integrated into a muscular system by numerous short foot muscles (intrinsic muscles) and the tendons of the long lower-leg muscles that attach to the foot, giving the foot its strength and dynamism.
Only after the foot has sensed the ground does the musculature brace the numerous bones of the foot into a rigid lever for locomotion. Forward movement is initiated, enabling safe and powerful locomotion.
To support the finely structured foot with its special functions, the shoe should correspond to the foot’s typical and individual dimensions and support its functions and movements. Every shoe influences the functions of the foot, just as the foot, due to its individual characteristics, attempts to shape the shoe according to its own form.
More on this topic by Dr. Norbert L. Becker can be found at: www.fair2feet.com/
