AnatomyLower limbAnkle and foot

Bones of the foot: want to learn more about it?

Our engaging videos, interactive quizzes, in-depth articles and HD atlas are here to get you top results faster.

What do you prefer to learn with?

Videos Quizzes Both

“I would honestly say that Kenhub cut my study time in half.” – Read more. Kim Bengochea, Regis University, Denver

Bones of the foot

Learning objectives

After completing this study unit you will be able to:

Recognize the 3 groups of bones of the foot.
List the 26 bones of the foot.
Name the main joints formed by the bones of the foot.

Watch videos

The human foot contains 26 bones that are divided into 3 groups. The tarsal bones are the most proximal ones, consisting of 7 irregularly shaped bones homologous to the carpal bones of the hand. Next are the metatarsal bones which are 5 long bones that are equivalent to the metacarpals of the hand. Lastly, we have the phalanges of the foot that form the toes in an identical manner that the phalanges of the hand form the fingers. The lateral four toes are made up of three phalanges (proximal, middle, and distal), while the great toe consists of only two phalanges (proximal and distal).

The foot is also traditionally divided into 3 regions; the hindfoot, midfoot and forefoot. The tarsal bones are contained in the hindfoot and midfoot, while the metatarsals and phalanges lie in the forefoot.

If you want to learn more details about the cuneiform and cuboid bones, be sure to check out the videos below.

Take a quiz

After watching the video, choose one of our quizzes to solidify your understanding of the bones of the foot.

You can also customize your own quiz to be tested on some more topics other than the bones of the foot. For example, the following quiz covers bones, muscles, ligaments and neurovascular structures of both the ankle and foot.

Browse atlas

The hindfoot is the most proximal group, and includes only two bones: the talus and calcaneus. The talus forms the ankle joint superiorly with the tibia and fibula, while the calcaneus forms the heel. Anterior to the talus and calcaneus we can see the next set of tarsal bones that belong to the midfoot: the navicular, cuboid and three cuneiform bones (lateral, intermediate, and medial). The last group of bones make up the forefoot, and include the metatarsal bones and phalanges. There are three consecutive sets of phalanges for each toe (proximal, middle and distal), except for the great toe that contains 2 phalanges (proximal and distal).

Summary

Key points about the bones of the foot
Bones	Tarsal bones: Talus, calcaneus, navicular, medial cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform, lateral cuneiform, cuboid Metatarsal bones: Metatarsal bone I-V Phalanges of foot: proximal, middle and distal phalanx (toes II-V); proximal and distal phalanx (toe I)
Joints	Talocrural joint: talus + tibia + fibula Subtalar joint: Talus + calcaneus Calcaneocuboid joint: Calcaneus + cuboid Talonavicular joint: Talus + navicular bone Tarsometatarsal joints: Medial, intermediate and lateral cuneiform + metatarsal bones Metatarsophalangeal joints: Metatarsal bones + proximal phalanges Proximal interphalangeal joints: Proximal phalanges + middle phalanges Distal interphalangeal joints: Middle phalanges + distal phalanges

Well done!

Related articles

Continue your learning

Continue studying about the lower limb by checking out our study units below.