Foot anatomy

A clear understanding of normal foot anatomy and anatomical variants in children must be appreciated before trying to interpret radiographs for trauma, otherwise features such as apophyses and accessory bones can be mistaken for fractures. 

In designing drugs to target immune-mediated messengers, it is important to appreciate the anatomy and biochemistry of the immune system. The anatomy of the immune system is not nearly as well delineated as that for the other messenger systems, such as the nervous system. The foot soldiers of the immune system are the leukocytes (white blood cells), which do the majority of the work within the immune system. Leukocytes may be subcategorized as follows ... 

Fig. 4.1 The anatomy of a clam is typical of all bivalves Its shell is secreted by a thin layer of tissue, the mantle. A muscular foot provides locomotion.

Inokuchi S, Usami N, Hiraishi E, Hashimoto T (1998) Calcaneal fractures in children. J Pediatr Orthop 18 469-474 Jones R (1902) Fracture of the base of the fifth metatarsal by indirect violence. Ann Surg 35 697-700 Kay RM, Tang CW (2001) Pediatric foot fractures evaluation and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 9 308-319 Logan B, Singh D, Hutchings R (2004) McMinn s colour atlas of foot and ankle anatomy, 3rd edn. Mosby, Elsevier Mora S, Thordarson DB, Zionts CE, Reynolds RA (2001) Pediatric calcaneal fractures. Foot Ankle Int 22 471-477... 

The first step is to study the anatomy of foot. Then, a graph is created that charts bones and joints localities. Vertex symbolizes bone, whereas as an edge symbolizes joint. The graph eventually characterizes foot. It depicts bones adjacencies, bones and joints incidences, and the routes of paths from the root. This is further elaborated in Fig. 1. 

The foot is characterized by a complex anatomy it is formed by 28 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Specific anatomic references are conventionally used when examining the foot, movements in the transverse plane being referred to the midline of the foot, vdiich is defined as the long axis of the second toe, and not to the midline of the body. As a consequence, adduction means movement toward the second toe and abduction means motion away from it. The abductor hal-lucis muscle, which lies on the medial edge of the plantar foot, is referred to as an abductor muscle... 

In terms of topographic bone anatomy, the foot can be subdivided into three parts the hindfoot (talus and calcaneus), the midfoot (navicular, cuboid, and the three cuneiforms), and the forefoot (metatarsals and phalanges) (Fig. 17.1a). Each of these parts consists of several joints. The subtalar (talocalcaneal) joint is formed by the large concave facet located... 

Aurell Y, Johansson A, Hansson G et al (2002a) Ultrasound anatomy in the normal neonatal and infant foot an anatomic introduction to ultrasound assessment of foot deformities. Eur Radiol 12 2306-2312 Aurell Y, Johansson A, Hansson G, Jonsson (2002b) Ultrasound anatomy in the neonatal clubfoot. Eur Radiol 12 2509-2517... 

Sarrafian SK. Anatomy of the foot and ankle descriptive, topographic, functional. Isted. Philadelphia Lippincott 1983. 

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