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Bones of the Foot Quiz
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Which statement about the phalanges of the foot is correct?
- A The big toe has two phalanges. You picked ✓
- B Phalanges articulate directly with the tarsal bones. You picked ✕
- C The hallux contains proximal and middle phalanges. You picked ✕
- D There are four phalanges in each toe. You picked ✕
- E Each toe has three phalanges. You picked ✕
Correct!
Incorrect
The answer is A: The big toe has two phalanges.
Explanation
Why A is correct
See Phalanges. Option A is correct because the hallux (the big toe) has only two phalanges, a proximal phalanx and a distal phalanx. Phalanges (the singular is phalanx) are the small long bones of the toes. Proximal means nearer the foot and distal means nearer the tip of the toe. The second to fifth toes follow the usual pattern of three phalanges each, proximal, middle and distal, but the big toe has no middle phalanx, so it is the exception. Each toe joins the foot at its metatarsophalangeal joint, the knuckle at the ball of the foot where the proximal phalanx meets the head of a metatarsal. The joints between phalanges are the interphalangeal joints, so the big toe has one and the lesser toes have two. Memory aid: the big toe and the thumb are the odd ones out, each with two phalanges while every other digit has three.
- Big toe: The hallux has two phalanges, proximal and distal, with no middle phalanx.
- Other toes: The second to fifth toes have three phalanges each.
- Joints: So the big toe has one interphalangeal joint and the lesser toes have two.
Why the other options are incorrect
- B. Phalanges articulate directly with the tarsal bones.: The metatarsals lie between the tarsal bones and the toes, so each toe joins a metatarsal, not a tarsal. Direct contact would skip a whole row of bones. Your answer
- C. The hallux contains proximal and middle phalanges.: The hallux has a distal phalanx but no middle phalanx, so this gives its second bone the wrong name. A middle phalanx belongs to the usual three-bone pattern of the lesser toes. Your answer
- D. There are four phalanges in each toe.: No toe has four phalanges. The normal pattern is two in the big toe and three in each of the other four toes. Your answer
- E. Each toe has three phalanges.: The big toe has only two phalanges, so it cannot be said that every toe has three. The second to fifth toes do have three each, which is where this idea comes from. Your answer
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More questions from this set. Start the quiz to answer them and see each explanation.
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1
Which tarsal bone forms the heel of the foot and provides the attachment for the Achilles tendon?
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2
Which part of a metatarsal bone articulates proximally with the tarsal bones?
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