ABSTRACT
There are 26 main bones in the foot plus the two sesamoids of the hallux and a variable number of other sesamoid and accessory bones. Movements at the ankle joint are mainly dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, but are more complex than this. The blood supply of the foot is from the anterior tibial, the posterior tibial and the peroneal arteries. The following nerves supply sensation to the foot: posterior tibial, saphenous, sural, superficial and deep peroneal. Hallux valgus is deviation of the big toe away from the midline, that is, towards the lesser toes, and is usually associated with a bunion, a swelling made up of both bone and bursa on the medial aspect of the first metatarsal head. Hallux rigidus is a painful condition of the hallux metatarsophalangeal joint characterised by loss of motion, especially in dorsiflexion, and osteophyte formation on the dorsum and sides of the joint.
