Medial part of longitudinal arch of foot

The medial part of longitudinal arch of foot is higher and exhibits greater mobility and resilience compared to its lateral counterpart, serving as an effective shock absorber for body weight.

The bony structure can be divided into anterior and posterior pillars. The anterior pillar is long and weak, consisting of the first three metatarsals, three cuneiform bones, navicular bone, and talus. The posterior pillar is short and strong, formed by the medial portion of the calcaneus. Please note that the phalanges do not contribute to the formation of the longitudinal arches.

Due to the arch-like alignment of the medial bones, the foot does not lie flat on the ground. Only the anterior end (heads of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd metatarsals) and the posterior end (medial tubercle of the calcaneus) of the medial part of longitudinal arch of foot touch the ground. The highest point of the arch is located on the superior articular surface of the body of the talus. A significant joint within the arch is the talocalcaneonavicular joint.

Various factors support the medial part of longitudinal arch of foot, including:

The spring ligament, which supports the head of the talus

The plantar aponeurosis and muscles of the first layer of the sole, acting as tie beams that pull the anterior and posterior ends of the arch towards each other, preventing it from collapsing flat on the ground

Muscles of the posterior leg compartment (tibialis anterior, flexor hallucis longus, and flexor digitorum longus) pull the summit of the medial longitudinal arch upwards

The tendons of tibialis anterior and peroneus longus together form a stirrup-like ring that provides support to the longitudinal arches