250 



SPECIAL ANATOMY OF THE SKELETON 



Common Characters. The shaft (corpus} is prismoid in form, tapers gradually 

 from the tarsal to the phalangeal extremity, and is slightly curved longitudinally, 

 so as to be concave below, slightly convex above. On the plantar surface of the 



shaft of each bone is a nutrient 

 foramen corresponding to the 

 nutrient foramen in each meta- 

 carpal bone. The proximal 

 extremity, or base (basis), is 

 wedge-shaped, articulating by 

 its terminal surface with the 

 tarsal bones, and by its lateral 

 surfaces with the contiguous 

 metatarsal bones, its dorsal and 

 plantar surfaces being rough for 

 the attachment of ligaments. 

 The distal extremity, or head 

 (capittdwri), presents a terminal 

 rounded articular surface, oblong 

 from above downward, and ex- 

 tending farther backward below 

 than above. Its sides are flat- 



Occastonal facet for j i i 



second metatarsal. tened and present a depression, 



surmounted by a tubercle, for 

 ligamentous attachment. Its 

 under surface is grooved in the middle line for the passage of the Flexor tendon, 

 and marked on each side by an articular eminence continuous with the terminal 

 articular surface. 



For 



peroneus 

 longus. 



For internal cuneiform. 



FIG. 201. The first metatarsal. (Left.) 



Occasional 

 facet for first 

 metatarsal. 

 For middle cuneiform. 



For third 

 metatarsal 



For external 

 cuneiform. 



For second metatarsal. 

 For middle cuneiform. 



For fourth 

 metatarsal. 



FIG. 202. The second metatarsal. (Left.) 



FIG. 203. The third metatarsal. (Left.) 



Peculiar Characters. The first metatarsal bone, or the metatarsal bone of the 

 great toe (os metatarsale 7) (Fig. 201), is remarkable for its great thickness, but is 

 the shortest of all the metatarsal bones. The shaft is strong and of well-marked 



