Arches of foot

ARCHES OF
FOOT
• The foot has three arches

longitudinal (medial and lateral)arches

transverse arch.

• Their shape allows them to act in the same way as a

spring, bearing the weight of the body and absorbing
the shock produced during locomotion.
 MEDIAL LONGITUDINAL ARCH
• The medial longitudinal arch is composed by the
calcaneum, talus, navicular, 3 cuneiforms, and medial 3
metatarsals.
 LATERAL LONGITUDINAL ARCH

• The lateral longitudinal arch is composed by

the calcaneum cuboid and lateral 2
metatarsals.
• It is characteristically low and just about touches
the earth.
• It is involved in receiving and supporting the
body weight during walking and running.
 TRANSVERSE ARCHES
• ANTERIOR TRANSVERSE ARCH
• The heads of the metatarsals create the anterior
transverse arch.
• It’s a whole arch because during standing position the
heads of first and fifth metatarsals come into contact to
the earth and create the 2 ends of the arch.
• POSTERIOR TRANSVERSE ARCH
• The posterior transverse arch is composed by greater
parts of the tarsus and metatarsus.
• It’s an incomplete arch because only its lateral end
enters into contact with all the earth during standing
position. It creates only half of the dome in a single
foot. The entire dome is composed when both feet
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MEDIAL
AND LATERAL LONGITUDINAL ARCHES

Medial longitudinal arch Lateral longitudinal arch

•Formed by more bones and more •Formed by less bones and less
joints joints

• Characteristic feature is resiliency • Characteristic feature is rigidity

• Higher and more mobile • Lower and less mobile
•Involved in propulsion during
locomotion (i.e., initiating the next •Involved in receiving and
supporting the body weight
step during walking)
 Medial Longitudinal Arch Lateral Longitudinal Arch Transverse Arch

Muscular support:
Tibialis anterior and posterior, Peroneus longus, Peroneus longus
Peroneus longus , Flexor digitorum longus, Tibialis posterior.
Flexor digitorum longus,
Intrinsic foot muscles.
Flexor hallucis longus,
Intrinsic foot muscles

Ligamentous support:
Plantar ligaments, Plantar ligaments Plantar ligaments
Medial ligament of the ankle Deep transverse metatarsal
joint. ligaments.

Bony support:
Shape of the bones of the Shape of the bones of the The wedged shape of
arch. arch.
the bones of the arch
Other:
Plantar aponeurosis. Plantar aponeurosis. Plantar aponeurosis.
 FUNCTIONS OF THE ARCHES
• Spread the body weight to the weight bearing points of
the sole (example, heel; balls of the toes, primarily those
of first and fifth toes and lateral border of the sole).
• Serves as shock absorber during bound by their
spring like activity.
• The concavity of the arches protects the nerves
and vessels of the sole.
 CLINICAL RELEVANCE – PES CAVUS (HIGH
ARCHES)

• Pes cavus is a foot condition characterised by an

unusually high medial longitudinal arch.
• Due to the higher arch, the ability to shock absorb
during walking is diminished and an increased degree
of stress is placed on the ball and heel of the foot.
• Symptoms generally include pain in the foot, which
can radiate to the ankle, leg, thigh and hip. This pain is
transmitted up the lower limb from the foot due to the
unusually high stress placed on the hindfoot during the
heel strike of the gait cycle.
 CAUSES

• Causes of pes cavus can be

• idiopathic,
• hereditary,
• due to an underlying congenital foot problem such as club
foot,
• or secondary to neuromuscular damage such as in
poliomyelitis.
PES CAVUS, AN ABNORMALLY
HIGH LONGITUDINAL
ARCH
 Clinical Relevance: Pes Planus (Flat Footed)
• Pes planus is a common
condition in which
the longitudinal arches
have been lost.
Arches do not develop until
about 2-3 years of age,
meaning flat feet during
infancy is normal.