ABSTRACT
The foot and ankle have three main functions: to support the body during stance, to act as a lever arm for propulsion during gait, and for shock absorption controlling the acceleration and deceleration forces associated with walking and running. The foot projects forwards from the ankle, providing a lever to control anterior and posterior sway of the human body when the feet are together, i.e. it helps in body balance. The joints transmit half the body weight at rest, up to three times the body weight in walking, and up to 13 times the body weight in sprinting.
