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Treatment of Ankle Osteoarthritis with Total Ankle Replacement Through a Lateral Transfibular Approach

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Published on: January 24, 2018

Revisiting the "midtarsal break".

Jeremy M DeSilva¹

¹Department of Anthropology, Boston University, MA 02215, USA. jdesilva@bu.edu

American Journal of Physical Anthropology

|August 13, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The midtarsal break, crucial for primate foot motion, involves dorsiflexion at both the cuboid-metatarsal and calcaneocuboid joints. Early hominins likely had a stable midfoot by 3.2 million years ago, impacting bipedalism and arboreal capacity.

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Area of Science:

Paleoanthropology
Primate Anatomy
Biomechanics

Background:

The midtarsal break, enabling independent heel lifting in primates, was historically attributed to the calcaneocuboid joint.
Recent research suggests the cuboid-metatarsal joint also contributes significantly to this motion.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the anatomical source of the midtarsal break and its contribution to midfoot dorsiflexion.
To examine the evolution of the midtarsal break in early hominins and its implications for bipedalism.

Main Methods:

Analysis of X-rays, dissections, and manual manipulation of primate feet.
Examination of osteological specimens, including hominin metatarsals and cuboids.
Video analysis of captive catarrhines.

Main Results:

The midtarsal break is a complex motion resulting from dorsiflexion at both the cuboid-metatarsal (approx. 2/3) and calcaneocuboid (approx. 1/3) joints.
Skeletal features of the fourth and fifth metatarsals and cuboid support midfoot dorsiflexion at the cuboid-metatarsal joint.
Early hominin species (Australopithecus, Homo erectus) and the OH 8 foot exhibit limited cuboid-metatarsal joint dorsiflexion.

Conclusions:

Early hominins possessed a stable midfoot by at least 3.2 million years ago, adapted for efficient bipedal push-off.
This midfoot stability in hominins suggests constraints on arboreal locomotion early in human evolution.
The findings refine our understanding of the evolution of the longitudinal arch and hominin foot biomechanics.