The foot and ankle

Abstract

The foot and ankle are complex structures with serious tasks in activities such as standing still, walking, and running in daily life. Contractile and noncontractile structures that make up the foot skeleton are frequently exposed to traumas due to various reasons, especially sports injuries. Good knowledge of functional anatomy is among the most important concepts to understand the injuries occurring in the foot skeleton better, develop preventive strategies for the prevention of injuries, and plan the post-injury conservative or postsurgical treatment modalities. In this chapter, the contractile and noncontractile structures of the foot and ankle joints and their palpation, the joints that generate the ankle complex and these joint motions, and evidence-based exercises for the muscles responsible for foot/ankle function are explained.