The foot

The different areas of the foot

It is possible to divide the foot into two distinct zones:

• The forefoot, which consists of the phalanges and the metatarsus
• The hindfoot, comprising the tarsus

The five metatarsal bones form the sole of the feet, the toes have 14 phalanges (3 per toe, except for the big toe which has only 2), and the back half of the foot has 7 tarsal bones, including the calcaneus of the heel.

Together with the ligaments, muscles, and tendons, this bony assembly forms several arches, giving a hollow appearance to the plantar arch:

• A transverse arch, made up of the bases of the 5 metatarsals, the cuneiforms, and the cuboid,
• Two longitudinal arches: the medial (consisting of the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiforms, and the first 3 metatarsals) and the lateral (including the calcaneus, cuboid, and the last two metatarsals).

Common foot conditions

Several relatively common pathologies can affect the forefoot, such as:

• Hallux valgus, triggered by a deviation of the base of the big toe outward, leading to the appearance of a "bunion," that is, a bony outgrowth corresponding to the protrusion of the first metatarsal.
• Hallux rigidus, caused by the development of osteoarthritis in the first toe joint, causing swelling of the metatarsal.
• Toe corns, which occur as a result of repeated friction on the weight-bearing areas of the soles, resulting in thickened skin.
• Morton's neuralgia, which causes pain in the sole resulting from compression of a sensitive nerve between the toes.
• Foot fungus, also known as athlete's foot. This is a skin infection causing redness, dry skin, and peeling of the skin in the folds between the toes. Athletes are particularly vulnerable, as sweaty feet promote the growth of the fungus responsible for this condition.

Problems related to the hindfoot

The back of the foot is also vulnerable to a number of more or less common pathologies. A non-exhaustive list includes:

• Flat foot, which is a foot deformity caused by a collapse of the arch of the sole, often leading to various deformities such as the displacement of certain bones along with the outward deviation of the heel.
• Conversely, high-arched foot (cavus foot) is caused by a very pronounced and elevated arch, resulting in a lack of contact points with the ground, making it unstable and causing excessive pressure on the toes.
• Dorsal hump (tarse bossu), a deformity characterized by a dorsal prominence of the foot, often caused by exostoses or osteoarthritis.
• Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon.
• Arthritis is a degenerative disease, whose two main forms are rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and osteoarthritis (cartilage degeneration), causing pain, stiffness, and deformities in the joints. These conditions can be exacerbated by certain factors such as joint hypermobility.
• Heel pain (or talalgia) is characterized by pain under the heel or on the sides, usually present while walking. This pain is often caused by another condition such as high-arched foot or tendinitis.

The foot specialists

The foot clinic offers you the services of our orthopedic and trauma surgeons. Our foot specialists use surgical techniques to treat urgent injuries of the locomotor system, as well as their aftereffects. Chronic inflammation problems will be treated by one of our rheumatologists.