This document summarizes the anatomy and functions of the arches of the foot. It discusses the three types of arches - longitudinal, transverse, and oblique. The medial longitudinal arch helps in propulsion during walking and is maintained by bones like the talus and calcaneus, ligaments like the plantar calcaneonavicular ligament, and muscles/tendons like the flexor hallucis longus. Clinical conditions involving the arches like flat foot and club foot are also summarized.

1. DR. SMITA SHIND
ASSIST.PROF
Dept. of anatomy

2. FUNCTIONS OF THE ARCHES
 Arches of foot is distinctive feature of human
 Helps in walking, running, jumping
 Helps in weight bearing in upright posture
 Foot prints are complete due to arches
 Present since birth, masked in infant
 The medial longitudinal arch gives a propulsive
force during locomotion.
 The lateral longitudinal arch functions as a
support and weight transmission

3. 3 anatomical and functional
divisions
 The hindfoot -talus
and calcaneus.
 The midfoot -
navicular, cuboid,
and cuneiforms.
 The forefoot-
metatarsals and
phalanges.

4. weight of the body is spread
among 3 points
 Posteroinferior
tuberosity of the
calcaneum (heel).
 head of first
metatarsal.
 head of fifth
metatarsal.

5.  Arches of foot is distinctive feature of human
 Helps in walking, running, jumping
 Helps in weight bearing in upright posture
 Foot prints are complete due to arches
 Present since birth, masked in infant

6. FACTOR MAINTAINING
stone bridge are
 Shape of stones.
 Intersegmental ties
(staples).
 Slings.
 Tie beams.

8. Intersegmental ties or ligament

9. Beams or bowstrings

10. SLING

11. TYPES OF ARCHES

13. LONGITUDINAL ARCHES
Every longitudinal arch has:
(a) 2 Pillars
(b) a summit
(c) joints.

14. MEDIAL LONGITUDINAL ARCH
 The medial
longitudinal arch is
formed by the
calcaneum, talus,
navicular, 3
cuneiforms, and
medial 3
metatarsals.

16. PILLARS
 The medial half of the calcaneum forms the posterior
pillar of the medial longitudinal arch.
 The heads of the medial 3 metatarsals form the
anterior pillar of the medial longitudinal arch.
SUMMIT
 The talus is located at the summit of the arch. For that
reason, the talus is the keystone of the arch.
JOINTS
 The key joints of the medial longitudinal arch are
talocalcaneonavicular and subtalar joints.

18. LATERAL LONGITUDINAL ARCH
 The lateral
longitudinal arch is
composed by the
calcaneum cuboid
and lateral 2
metatarsals.

20. PILLARS
 The posterior pillar of the lateral longitudinal arch
is formed by the lateral tubercle of the calcaneum.
 anterior pillar is formed by the heads of the lateral
2 metatarsals.
SUMMIT
 The summit of the lateral longitudinal arch is lies
at the level of articular facets on the superior
surface of calcaneum (i.e., at the level of subtalar
joint).
JOINTS
 Calcaneocuboid joint.

22. FACTOR MAINTAINING MEDIAL
LONGITUDINAL ARCH
BONES
 The sustentaculum tali
partially support the head
of talus.
 Shelf like projection

23. LIGAMENTS
 plantar calcaneonavicular ligament-
(spring ligament) -which gives dynamic
support to the head of talus
 interosseous ligaments –connecting the
adjacent bones
 interosseous talocalcanean ligament-
connecting these bones.
 These ligaments serve as intersegmental
ties.

25. MUSCLES, TENDONS AND APONEUROSIS
1.Acting as slings- the tendon of tibialis posterior
being located underneath the spring ligament
supported by the tendons of flexor hallucis
longus.
 The flexor hallucis longus is the bulkiest and most
powerful muscle
1. It strethetches arch like the string of a bow.
2. It supports the calcaneum by passing underneath
the sustentaculum tali.
3. It supports the talus by passing along its posterior
groove.

26.  The tendon of tibialis anterior also has a
sling action.
2. Acting as tie beams ( structures which
prevent separation of the Pillars).
 The medial part of the plantar
aponeurosis and abductor hallucis also
by flexor hallucis brevis act as tie beam
to maintain the height of the medial
longitudinal arch.

27. FACTORS MAINTAINING THE
LATERAL LONGITUDINAL ARCH
BONES
 The appropriate
formation of the
distal end of
calcaneus and
proximal end of
cuboid.
 The cuboid is the
keystone of
longitudinal arch.

28. LIGAMENTS
 Short plantar ligament: broad and thick.
It is located deep to the long plantar
ligament and supports the calcaneocuboid
joint from below.
 Long plantar ligament: long and supports
the joints between the calcaneum, cuboid,
and related metatarsals.
 These ligaments serve as intersegmental
ties.

30. MUSCLES, TENDONS AND APONEUROSIS
1. working as tie beams: The lateral part
of the plantar aponeurosis and the
intrinsic muscles of the little toe (flexor
digitorum brevis, abductor digiti minimi
brevis, and flexor digiti minimi brevis)
2. Acting as slings: The tendons
of peroneus brevis & peroneus tertius,
The tendon of peroneus longus-plantar
aspect of cuboid then crosses attached to
base of first metatarsal and adjoining part
of medial cuneiform, supports
the cuboid bone,it act like pulley

32. Medial longitudinal
arch
 Formed by more bones
and more joints.
 Characteristic feature is
resiliency.
 Higher and more mobile.
 Involved in propulsion
during locomotion
Lateral longitudinal
arch
 Formed by less bones
and less joints.
 Characteristic feature is
rigidity.
 Lower and less mobile.
 Involved in receiving
and supporting the body
weight

33.  Summit is formed by the
talus.
 Main joint is
talocalcaneonavicular
joint.
 Summit is formed by the
calcaneum.
• Main joint is
calcaneocuboid.

34. TRANSVERSE ARCHES
ANTERIOR TRANSVERSE ARCH
 The heads of the metatarsals create the
anterior transverse arch.
POSTERIOR TRANSVERSE ARCH
 The posterior transverse arch is composed
by greater parts of the tarsus and
metatarsus. Incomplete arch & completed
when entire dome is composed.

37. FACTORS MAINTAINING TRANSVERSE ARCHES
BONES
 The tarsal and metatarsal bones have larger dorsal
and smaller plantar surfaces -wedge shaped leads
to concavity
LIGAMENTS
 All ligaments, which bind together the cuneiform
bones and metatarsals.
 Superficial and deep transverse metatarsal
ligaments at the heads of metatarsals function as
intersegmental ties

39. MUSCLES AND TENDONS
 Acting as tie beams: The tendons of
peroneus longus and tibialis posterior
support the transverse arch as tie beam.
 Acting as slings: The peroneus tertius and
peroneus brevis on the lateral side and
tibialis anterior on the medial side support
the transverse arch as slings.
 Acting as intersegmental ties: The dorsal
interossei serve as intersegmental ties.

41. CLINICAL ANATOMY
FLAT FOOT (PES PLANUS)
• Commonest of all foot problems.
• Collapse of medial longitudinal arch.
• During long periods of standing the plantar
aponeurosis and spring ligament are
overstretched.
• the head of talus is lost and is push
downward between the calcaneus and the
navicular bones.

42. Flat foot
 shuffling gait due to loss of spring in foot.
 shock absorbing function lost
 The compression of the nerves and vessels
 Leads pain in the forefoot (metatarsalgia).

43. HIGH ARCHED FOOT OR PES
CAVUS OR Claw foot
 The exaggeration of
the longitudinal
arch of the foot
causes pes cavus.
 Planter flexed foot
 Due to contracture
at transverse tarsal
joint

45. CLUB FOOT/TALIPES
 Club foot points down
and inwards, with the
soles of the feet facing
backwards.
 Club foot isn’t painful for
babies, but it can
become painful as they
get older and cause
difficulties walking if it
isn’t treated.

46. congenital or acquired. 5 types
 Talipes equinus (horse like): plantar flexed-
walks on the toes- with heel raised.
 Talipes calcaneus: walks on the heel-
forefoot raised
 Talipes varus: inverted- walks on the outer
border of the foot.

47.  Talipes valgus: foot is everted- Walks on the
inner border of his foot.
 Talipes equinovarus: It’s the commonest
deformity of the foot. the foot is inverted,
adducted, and plantar flexed.

48. HALLUX VALGUS
 Great toe adducted
towards midline at
metatarso
phalangeal joint.
 wearing of narrow
pointed shoes-
prominence

49. HAMMER TOE
 metatarsophalangeal
and distal
interphalangeal joints
are hyperextended but
the proximal
interphalangeal joint is
intensely bent.
 This deformity
generally changes the
2nd and 3rd toes.

50. March Foot
 Neck of intermediate metatarsals
undergo
decalcification
 Minor injury may lead to pathological
fracture
 Commonly observed in soldiers

51. Gait cycle
 It is defined as translatory progression of
body as a whole produce by coordinated ,
rotatory movement of body segments.
Phases of Gait
 Stance
 swing

53. STANCE
1. Heel strike
2. Flat foot
3. Mid stance
4. Heel off
5. Toe off

54. SWING
1.Acceleration
2.Mid –swing
3.Deceleration

55. Thank you