KIN 322 Kinesiology · Unit 4: The foot and gait · on Final exam
4.1 The foot
Study notes for The foot in KIN 322 Kinesiology at Montana State University: the big ideas, a worked example, common mistakes and an exam tip. The same topic has endless practice questions and flashcards in StudyCat.
Big ideas
- 26 bones: 7 tarsals (talus, calcaneus, navicular, cuboid and three cuneiforms), 5 metatarsals and 14 phalanges. Regions: rearfoot (talus, calcaneus), midfoot (navicular, cuboid, cuneiforms) and forefoot (metatarsals, phalanges).
- The transverse tarsal (midtarsal) joint, talonavicular plus calcaneocuboid, works with the subtalar joint: pronated and unlocked, the foot is a flexible adapter at contact; supinated and locked, it is a rigid lever for push-off.
- Three arches: medial longitudinal (the highest), lateral longitudinal and transverse. They are held by bone shape, the plantar fascia, the spring ligament (plantar calcaneonavicular), the long and short plantar ligaments, and muscles (tibialis posterior, fibularis longus, the intrinsics).
- The windlass mechanism: extending the toes at push-off winds the plantar fascia around the metatarsal heads, raising the arch and stiffening the foot. Plantar fasciitis causes heel pain at the fascia’s origin, worst with the first steps of the morning.
- Foot types: pes planus (flat, often overpronated) and pes cavus (high, rigid, poor shock absorption). Other problems: hallux valgus (bunion), hammer toes, metatarsal stress fractures and Morton’s neuroma (usually between the third and fourth metatarsal heads). The intrinsic muscles lie in four plantar layers and support the arch.
Worked example
Why does your arch rise when you stand on your toes, even though no muscle lifts it directly?
Show the solution
Rising onto the toes extends the MTP joints, which winds the plantar fascia around the metatarsal heads like a rope on a windlass. The tightened fascia pulls the heel toward the toes, raising the medial arch and turning the foot into a rigid lever.
Common mistakes
- Treating pronation as always bad. Normal pronation after contact absorbs shock; trouble comes from too much or badly timed pronation.
- Leaving the navicular and cuboid out of the tarsal count.
- Calling the plantar fascia a muscle.
Exam tipFollow the foot through one step: pronated and flexible when it lands, supinated and rigid when it pushes off.
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