Where is sole of foot

Note two small bones, sesamoid bones S under the head of the 1st metatarsal. These small bones develop in the tendons of the flexor hallucis brevis muscle and probably serve as a fulcrum for the muscle to act more strongly. When we walk, our main lift off is at the big toe. Also note a shelf-like extension of the calcaneous, the sustentaculum tali, which supports the head of the talus when standing. One of the more important ligaments of the foot, the spring ligament, crosses under the head of the talus at this point, adding more support.

This will be seen later. Pay attention to two of the joint areas in the sole of the foot because they are the major joints for eversion and inversion of the foot: subtalar joint ST transverse talar joint TT.

Once the skin of the sole of the foot has been removed, there is a very dense organized layer of deep fascia that runs down the middle of the sole; this is the plantar aponeurosis. There is also deep fascia covering the medial and lateral muscle groups but it has been removed in this image.

The plantar aponeurosis is thought to help maintain the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. After the plantar aponeurosis has been removed you can see the muscles that make up the first layer of the sole of the foot and the arteries and nerves entering the foot.

The muscles of the first layer are: abductor hallucis flexor digitorum brevis abductor digiti minimi The nerves are the: medial plantar lateral plantar The arteries are branches of the posterior tibial artery and include the: medial plantar lateral plantar.

The medial and lateral plantar nerves supply the muscles as well as the skin on the sole of the foot. Finally, there are the bones of the toes, the phalanges. The joint between the metatarsals and the first phalanx is called the metatarsal phalangeal joint MTP. These joints form the ball of the foot, and movement in these joints is very important for a normal walking pattern.

Not much motion occurs at the joints between the bones of the toes. The big toe, or hallux, is the most important toe for walking, and the first MTP joint is a common area for problems in the foot. Ligaments are the soft tissues that attach bones to bones. Ligaments are very similar to tendons.

The difference is that tendons attach muscles to bones. Both of these structures are made up of small fibers of a material called collagen. The collagen fibers are bundled together to form a rope-like structure.

Ligaments and tendons come in many different sizes, and like rope, are made up of many smaller fibers. The thicker the ligament or tendon the stronger it is.

The large Achilles tendon is the most important tendon for walking, running, and jumping. It attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone to allow us to rise up on our toes. The posterior tibial tendon attaches one of the smaller muscles of the calf to the underside of the foot. This tendon helps support the arch and allows us to turn the foot inward.

The sole of the adult foot is normally arched. Arches may fail to develop during childhood or may flatten during pregnancy and old age resulting in flat feet. In the Middle East the sole of the foot is considered unclean and it is considered insulting or offensive to prominently display a barefoot.

In Western culture the sensitivity of the sole makes it a target for tickling or sexual stimulation. Template:Lower limb general. Template:Infobox Anatomy Contents. The talus rests on top of the calcaneus and forms the pivoting joint of the ankle. A joint is formed at the junction between two or more bones. Each big toe has two joints, the metatarsophalangeal joint and the interphalangeal joint.

The other four toes on each foot have three joints each: the metatarsophalangeal joint at the base of the toe, the proximal interphalangeal joint in the middle of the toe, and the distal phalangeal joint—the joint closest to the tip of the toe.

The muscles that control the movements of the foot originate in the lower leg and are attached the bones in the foot with tendons. These are the main muscles that facilitate movement in the foot:. The most notable tendon of the foot is the Achilles tendon, which runs from the calf muscle to the heel. It is the strongest and largest tendinous structure in the body. Other important tendons in the foot include the tibialis posterior posterior tibial tendon , which attaches the calf muscle to the bones on the inside of the foot and supports the arch of the foot, and the tibialis anterior anterior tibial tendon , which runs from the outer tibia to the first metatarsal and surfaces of the median cuneiform tarsal, which allows for dorsiflexion—bringing the toes toward the shin.

These are the primary ligaments of the foot:. And like any body part that's made up of bone, muscle, and connective tissue, the feet are subject to certain conditions that can affect any other extremity, limb, or the spine, including:. Feet can also be affected by medical conditions that aren't specific to them, such as:. And, of course, there are issues that are unique to the foot itself:. As the largest bone in the foot, the calcaneus heel is especially prone to injury caused by faulty biomechanics—walking in ways that aren't optimal, for example.

A common one is the development of bony growths on the underside of the calcaneus, called heel spurs, that cause severe pain when standing or walking. Foot dysfunctions like heel spurs are most common in people who have plantar fasciitis inflammation of the fascia on the sole of the foot; see below , flat feet , or high arches. This condition results from microtears in the thick fibrous tissue on the underside of the foot, extending from the heel to the ball, caused by overstretching.

Symptoms include pain in the heel and arch that's often worse in the mornings. Plantar fasciitis is a particular risk for long-distance walkers or runners. A bunion is a bony prominence just below the toe on either the inside edge of the foot or the pinkie toe side.

The latter is sometimes called a bunionette. Bunions form when the bones in the foot become misaligned, often due to pressure caused by wearing shoes that don't fit well or that squeeze the toes tightly together over a long period of time. The big toe can angle so far inward that it actually crosses under or over the adjacent second toe, causing a secondary misalignment called a hammertoe.

Usually, a painful callous forms on top of the second toe. Sometimes called pes planus, or flat feet, this is a deformity in which the arc of the underside of the foot straightens out, often so completely that the entire sole of the foot comes in contact with the floor. The result can be pain in the midfoot area, swelling of the ankle and arch of the foot, and even hip, knee, or lower back pain. Fallen arches can be congenital meaning a person is born with the condition , but more often pes planus develops as a result of age or injury.

In this condition, the joint in the middle of a toe becomes permanently bent to the extent that it points downward. It develops because of an imbalance in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments that hold the bones of the toe straight. As with bunions and hammertoe, mallet toe often forms as a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes, although it can also be caused by trauma or certain diseases.

This is the medical name for pain under the ball of the foot. It is often caused by increased pressure on this area because of certain types of shoes or from conditions, such as arthritis, nerve compression called a neuroma; see below , or fractures or tears in ligaments. This is a deformity in which the toes bend downward from the middle joints or even curl under the foot.

Callouses or corns —areas of thickened, inflamed skin—often form on top of the affected toes. Sometimes a corn can put pressure on nerves in the foot, causing pain. This is a common problem in which compression on a nerve in the ball of the foot causes burning, tingling, and pain near the third and fourth toes.