FOOT FACTS QUIZIZZ

How have human feet evolved?

• Recent work suggests that muscles within our feet are key to how the foot functions during bipedal walking and running

• much credit for the elasticity of the longitudinal arch (LA) has been granted to the plantar aponeurosis, a ligamentous structure spanning the arch from the heel to the underside of the toes,

• to facilitate bipedal locomotion, losing an opposable digit that grasped branches in favor of a longitudinal arch (LA) that stiffens the foot and aids bipedal gait

• With a progression to elite-level sprinting, the foot and ankle will absorb up to 12.5 times body weight within a short timeframe and require the Achilles tendon and calf muscles to counteract these forces

What does recent work suggest about the muscles within the feet?

• it is imperative to treat the foot and ankle as components of the entire lower body kinetic chain rather than isolated joints or structures

• suggests that muscles within our feet are key to how the foot functions during bipedal walking and running

• The body’s natural sway posture is a flexion-based movement. Therefore, the body uses extension to counteract this. This optimal lever comes solely from the ankle joint, where isometric plantarflexion forces offset forward postural sway

• Damage to the foot can cause imprecise weight-transfer and cause shock to travel up the leg, through the hip and into the back.

Although passive elastic structures like ligaments are credited with supporting the foot arch, what does research say about the plantar intrinsic muscles?

• evidence suggests that plantar muscles within the foot actively contribute to foot stiffness

• Without effective push-off during walking, energy is lost in trans

• The human foot evolved over several millennia to have a stiff long arch, an adducted hallux, and short toes that significantly aid our bipedal gaits by forming a stiff lever.

• As the foot dissection revealed, the skin of the foot is thick and tough and under the heel lies a pad of specialised fat, packaged up like bubble wrap to absorb shock and spread the load of our body weight.

What key structural feature distinguishes human feet from primates?

• foot surgeon Kartik Hariharan showed, the foot is equally complex.

  Containing 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles and 57 ligaments, it's one of the few pieces of anatomy that can compete with the hand for sheer complexity.

• data show that the elastic absorption of energy by the longitudinal arch (LA) is only minimally supported by contraction from the plantar intrinsic foot muscles

• Human feet have evolved to facilitate bipedal locomotion, losing an opposable digit that grasped branches in favor of a longitudinal arch (LA) that stiffens the foot and aids bipedal gait

• The pronounced longitudinal arch (LA) of the human foot is a key structural feature that distinguishes our feet from those of other primates and our common ancestors

What role does the longitudinal arch play in humans?

• With a progression to elite-level sprinting, the foot and ankle will absorb up to 12.5 times body weight within a short timeframe and require the Achilles tendon and calf muscles to counteract these forces

• For example, don’t just treat a gastrocnemius strain with gastrocnemius strengthening exercises. Instead, consider the surrounding articular and muscular systems

• In humans, IT stiffens the foot, providing leverage for applying propulsive forces to the ground, and is considered advantageous for performing bipedal walking and running

• much credit for the elasticity of the longitudinal arch (LA) has been granted to the plantar aponeurosis, a ligamentous structure spanning the arch from the heel to the underside of the toes,

What mechanical properties does the longitudinal arch in humans exhibit AND what advantages does it provide?

• Ensuring that the feet, ankles and toes are functioning properly is not only important for injury prevention, it also goes a long way toward maximizing speed, mobility, agility, power, force production and explosiveness.

• Similar to faulty postural mechanics and poor spinal alignment, foot and ankle dysfunction accelerates the aging process.

• the longitudinal arch (LA) of humans is known to exhibit elastic mechanics to absorb and return energy during contact with the ground (8). In fact, this spring-like function provides an important energetic saving for running humans

• data show that the elastic absorption of energy by the longitudinal arch (LA) is only minimally supported by contraction from the plantar intrinsic foot muscles

A lot of credit has been given to which ligamentous structure in supporting the longitudinal arch?

• Human feet have evolved to facilitate bipedal locomotion, losing an opposable digit that grasped branches in favor of a longitudinal arch (LA) that stiffens the foot and aids bipedal gait

•  to the plantar aponeurosis, a ligamentous structure spanning the arch from the heel to the underside of the toes, wrapping under the metatarsal-phalangeal (MTP) joints that allow the toes to rotate 

• The pronounced longitudinal arch (LA) of the human foot is a key structural feature that distinguishes our feet from those of other primates and our common ancestors

• The human foot evolved over several millennia to have a stiff long arch, an adducted hallux, and short toes that significantly aid our bipedal gaits by forming a stiff lever. The plantar intrinsic foot muscles actively assist this function.

What do the data show about the role of plantar intrinsic muscles in absorbing energy?

• data show that the elastic absorption of energy by the longitudinal arch (LA) is only minimally supported by contraction from the plantar intrinsic foot muscles

• The hand might seem, at first glance, a more interesting bit of our anatomy but, as foot surgeon Kartik Hariharan showed, the foot is equally complex.

  Containing 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles and 57 ligaments, it's one of the few pieces of anatomy that can compete with the hand for sheer complexity.

• At the core of the foot is the arch, Made of a tough web of muscles and ligaments that  absorb the forces created when you walk or run. But the arch also acts as a spring; storing and releasing energy when you push off with your toes.

• The foot and ankle complex controls balance and posture and counteracts gravitational forces. 

How is propulsive power affected without active contraction of the plantar intrinsic muscles?

• When thinking about proper foot and ankle mechanics, the “three points of contact rule” is a good starting point. The three points are: (1) the heel; (2) the lateral upper portion of the foot or outer ball of the foot in line with the baby toe; and (3) near the medial portion of the foot toward the base of the big toe.

• Damage to the foot can cause imprecise weight-transfer and cause shock to travel up the leg, through the hip and into the back.

• As the foot dissection revealed, the skin of the foot is thick and tough and under the heel lies a pad of specialised fat, packaged up like bubble wrap to absorb shock and spread the load of our body weight.

• However, without active contraction of the plantar intrinsic muscles, stiffening of the forefoot during push-off against the ground is impaired, and our ability to generate propulsive power is affected

How does the body compensate for ineffective push-off during walking?

• Recent work suggests that muscles within our feet are key to how the foot functions during bipedal walking and running

• energy is lost in transition between steps and must be compensated for by elevated hip muscle work

• The pronounced longitudinal arch (LA) of the human foot is a key structural feature that distinguishes our feet from those of other primates and our common ancestors

• much credit for the elasticity of the longitudinal arch (LA) has been granted to the plantar aponeurosis, a ligamentous structure spanning the arch from the heel to the underside of the toes, wrapping under the metatarsal-phalangeal (MTP) joints that allow the toes to rotate