THE METATARSAL BONES. 147 



THE MIDDLE CUNEIFORM. 



The middle cuneiform presents five surfaces, supe- 

 rior, external, internal, anterior, and posterior. The 

 superior surface is quadrilateral and rough ; the external 

 presents the surface for articulation with the external 

 cuneiform ; the internal presents an articular strip along 

 the superior border for articulation with the internal cunei- 

 form ; the posterior surface is triangular, and articulates 

 with the second facet on the scaphoid ; the anterior 

 surface articulates with the second metatarsal. 



The middle cuneiform is the smallest, and is shorter 

 than either the external or internal, being mortised in 

 between them. 



THE EXTERNAL CUNEIFORM. 



The external cuneiform articulates posteriorly with 

 the third facet of the scaphoid ; externally with the 

 cuboid, and, by a small facet, with the side of the fourth 

 metatarsal ; internally with the middle cuneiform, and, 

 by a small facet, with the second metatarsal ; anteriorly 

 with the third metatarsal. Its superior surface is rect- 

 angular and rough ; inferiorly is a rounded border ; the 

 internal and external surfaces, in addition to the articular 

 facets, are also rough, for the attachment of ligaments. 



THE METATARSAL BONES. 



The metatarsal bones are five in number, first, 

 second, third, fourth, fifth. They are long bones, and 

 present a shaft, two extremities, and a medullary cavity, 

 filled, in the adult, with yellow marrow. The shaft is 

 compressed from side to side and slightly bowed, so as 

 to be convex on the upper surface. The distal ex- 

 tremity is called the head, and is rounded in front; the 

 proximal extremity, or base, is cuboidal, and flattened to 

 articulate with the tarsal bones. 



