The tarsal bones are seven in number and form the posterior segment of the skeleton of the foot. They are laid out on two rows. The posterior row consists of thallus and calcaneus, and the anterior row is made up of scaphoid bone, cuboid bone and the three cuneiform bones. The mephatarsal bones, number five, make up the middle segment of the skeleton of the foot. The phalanges make up the skeleton of the fingers or the skeleton of the anterior segment of the foot. They are 14 in number.
Each segment of the skeleton performs a particular function. The skull protects the brain, eyes and ears. Of the 29 bones in the skull, 14 form the structure of the facial massif. At the same time, the vulnerable structures of the face are protected by these bones. Orbital cavities that are found under the forehead house the complex and delicate mechanisms of the eye. The olfactory mucosa is also deeply housed in the nasal cavity in the upper jaw.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. The bones in your foot grow faster than any other bone in your body.
2. The strongest and longest bone in your body, the femur, is about a quarter of your height.
3. Your face is made up of 14 bones.
4. About half of your bones are in your hands and feet. Each leg is made up of over 20 bones, and in one hand you have 27 bones.
5. The most commonly fractured bone in humans is the clavicle.
6. The bones of the hand are connected by about 33 joints.
7. The mandible is the hardest bone in the body.
8. Healing a fracture lasts for an average of six weeks.
INTRODUCTION
The human skeleton is made up of 208 bones, 34 of which make up the spine, and the remaining 174 clustered around it.
Bones located on the midline of the body, like the sternum, the sacred, and others, are unpaired. They are considered to be symmetrical bones, consisting of two halves.
The skeleton is divided into four parts:
- The spine
- Bone thorax
- The bones of the head or skull
- limbs
THE SPINE
The spine is made up of a chain of tiny bones called vertebrae and forms the central axis of the skeleton. It is particularly solid, but since it is a rod made up of small segments, instead of being a single bone, it is also very flexible. This makes us able to lean forward and touch our toes, but also maintain our orthostatic position. The vertebrae also protect the spinal cord, arranged in the vertebral canal. The lower extremity of the spine is called the cocci. In some animals, such as dogs, cats, it is much longer and forms the tail.
TYPES OF BONES
1. Long bones (length exceeds width and thickness). Examples: (humerus, ulna, radius, femur, tibia, peroneum);
2. Flat bones (length and width are almost equal to each other) Flat bones are flattened. Examples: (cranium, coxal, scapula, frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, etc.)
3. Short bones. Examples: (carpian, metacarpal, tarsian, metatarsal, phalanx)
4. Pneumatic bones. There are irregular bones that have air-filled cavitary spaces lined with mucous membranes. Examples: those around the frontal nasal passages, ethmoid, sphenoid, jaw, etc.
5. Sesamoid bones. Examples: rotula.
6. Sutural bones. They are small, flat and inconstant bones.
7. Irregular bones (palatine, sphenoid).
COMMON ISSUES
Osteoporosis- bones no longer receive optimal amounts of calcium and minerals and bone structure deteriorates.
Arthritis - when one or more joints become inflamed
Plantar fascitis - inflammation of the plantar fascia that causes pain in the heel and difficulty walking
Imperfect osteogenesis - also known as brittle bone disease, the disorder is caused by a genetic defect in the body, unable to strengthen the bones. Therefore, the bones break easily without a specific cause.
