Foot & Ankle
The Foot is composed of 26 bones, 33 joints, 4 muscular layers, and over 100 ligaments along with a vast network of arteries, veins and nerves. All these structures must work together to provide the body with support, balance, and mobility. A malfunction in any one part can result in the development of problems elsewhere in the body. The human foot combines mechanical complexity and structural strength. It can sustain enormous pressures and provides flexibility and resiliency.
The ankle is a synovial hinged joint composed of the fibula and tibia of the leg and talus of the foot. It contains the deltoid ligaments medially and the collateral ligaments laterally. The ankle serves as a shock absorber and propulsive engine during gait. The ankle connects the foot to the leg.
Common foot and ankle facts:
- 3 out of 4 americans will experience foot and ankle problems in there lifetime
- 25% of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet.
- Women have 4 times as many foot problems than men
- There are more than 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet which can excrete more than a half pint of moisture a day
- The average person takes 8-10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That’s enough to go around the circumference of the earth 4 times.
- About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage, which in severe forms can lead to lower limb amputations. Approximately 60,000 people per year loose there foot or leg to diabetes.
- Toenails and fingernails grow fastest in hot weather, during pregnancy, and during the teenage years.
- The 2 feet may be different sizes, buy shoes for the larger one.
- As a persons income increases the prevalence of foot problems decreases.
- Walking puts up to 1.5 times your body weight on your feet, running puts up to 4 times your body weight on your feet.