The magnificent architecture of the feet
Roger castell
The feet are an insufficiently known part of the body, although they are very important in life to carry out most of our activities. I therefore propose this small article to put them in the view of all, a bit like putting them on a “pedestal”.
Anatomy Basics
The feet, connected to the legs by the ankle joint, support the weight of the body for standing and our movements by ensuring 3 essential functions in balance, damping and propulsion. (1)
The foot of an adult represents a complex and absolutely extraordinary architecture, since each of them includes 26 bones, 16 joints, 107 ligaments and 20 muscles which harmonize to allow the various movements. The skeleton of the foot is made up of three parts, from back to front: the tarsus, the metatarsus and the phalanges (toes). The tarsus (heel) comprises seven short bones including the calcaneus and the astragalus. The metatarsus includes 5 long bones that connect the tarsus to the phalanges of the toes (see diagram).
The base of the feet has a hollow shape to aid propulsion for walking, running, dancing and jumping, but the sole can sometimes sag, in flat feet. The skin is made up of thick, elastic fatty tissue, especially in the heel, tickle-sensitive nerve endings, and sweat glands (such as the armpits and palms of the hands). On the other hand, it is devoid of hair and sebaceous glands (like the palms of the hands).
The muscles of the foot, as those of the hand are internal or external, according to whether they act on the articulations contained in the foot or whether they are situated in the legs. Among the 20 internal muscles, we can mention the 2 muscles of the big toe (the hallux), which allow its abduction and its flexion. The other toes 2 to 5 also have specific muscles for stretching or flexing The outer muscles of the foot are located in the leg and only their tendons are in the foot, to allow movement in all extended positions and flexion at the ankle.
The nerves of the foot arise mostly from the sciatic nerve or the femoral nerve in the thigh. They carry nerve impulses to act on the muscles. Some also innervate the skin and other parts of the foot.
The arteries of the foot, coming from the tibial artery, divide in the foot to give the various arteries which irrigate all the parts of the foot (muscles, tendons, skin, bones, cartilages). The veins have arrangements comparable to the arteries in the depth and on the surface. The lymphatic vessels follow the deep and superficial venous pathways.
Daily uses of the feet
The feet support the weight of the body on seven points of support: the heel, which bears two-thirds of the weight when walking, the metatarsus (front part) and the pulp of the five toes. During walking, the foot lengthens on average by 6 mm. This deformation is considerable and must therefore be taken into account when buying shoes, which are primarily intended to protect the feet. Unfortunately, these objects have too often acquired an exclusively “aesthetic” role to the detriment of comfort. They are therefore often the cause of suffering (deformations, corns, calluses, etc.) which require the help of a specialist. (2)
Similarly, the suffering caused by the feet is frequent among athletes (football, rugby, etc.), professional dancers, but also the elderly. This one often experiences difficulties for lack of flexibility, to maintain their feet (wash, cut nails). Again, the help of a specialist is often essential. This is the case of Jeans, an 82-year-old retiree who suffered from an ingrown toenail and was at risk of an abscess. He found invaluable help from a pedicure-podiatrist who solved his problem in 2 sessions.
Foot pathologies
As for other organs of the body, several conditions can affect the feet: inflammations, infections, bone malformations, fractures. At the level of the big toe (hallux) we find hallux valgus and hallux rigidus (toe deformities), and inflammatory conditions (rheumatism, gout, etc.). At the level of the metatarsals we find rheumatoid arthritis and stress fracture. Clubfoot refers to an anomaly of the ankle which can be congenital (3% of the population).
But the feet can also be victims of a banal callus that is often very annoying. also called foot horn, this cone-shaped growth is a callus, caused by a thickening of the keratin layer in response to irritation from the crease of a sock or the tight fit of a shoe. It should be eliminated (foot bath, sanding) or call a foot care practitioner. This paramedical specialty is podiatry and the pedicurist-podiatrist, works in conjunction with rheumatologists or orthopedic surgeons, to preserve the health of the feet.
Contribution of the foot to the history of mankind
Paleontology established during the 20rd that the evolution from pre-hominid to Man did not begin with the head, but with the standing station. This allowed, in fact, 4 essential advances in human evolution: to move with only the feet, to free the hands which could thus acquire the address, to reorient the sensory organs (eyes, nose, mouth) and to favor the development of the skull. It is therefore the feet, which favored, during a slow adaptation, the liberation of the hand which was then able to work, discover the art and invent the tool, thus ensuring the development of intelligence.
Etymology (history and origin of words), confirms the importance attributed by men to this part of the body. The masculine noun pied comes from the evolution of Latin words “pes and pedis”, already designating this part of the human body. From the 10rd century we find in old French the word “pie”, but medieval latin “pedem ou fag” may also be the origin of the word foot. In French, the words of the same family in the broad sense are very numerous.
Let us quote the adjective "pedestrian", the words: biped, quadruped, pedestrian, foot soldier, pawn (soldier on foot), trap (fetter for the feet), toll (right to set foot), pedal (object operated with the feet ), peduncle and pedestal...Finally, let's not forget the verbs: trample, trap, send, hurry and the expressions: do something "like a pied », be stupid like his feet, work hardpied, do not put back the feet, have a pied-downEtc..
A wonder to preserve
The weight of the body bears only on seven points of support: the heel which bears two-thirds of the weight when walking, the metatarsus and the pulp of the five toes. The 26 bones, 20 muscles and 16 joints of each foot form an extraordinary architectural ensemble capable of adapting to all surfaces, except ice and Leonardo da Vinci, from the 15rd century already marveled at this complexity and efficiency. But the feet are fragile and they deserve to be taken care of to avoid unnecessary suffering and promote well-being.
1 - Dr Jean Bénichou and Dr Marc Libotte, Le Livre du pied et de la gait, Ed O Jacob (see a presentation on page 28). .
2 – Roselyne Landsberg, All about the foot, Favre edition.
Possible illustrations
