Morphological study of the transverse arch of the foot.

The morphological study of the transverse arch was carried out using serial transverse sections of the foot. Ten specimens of intact feet, composed of bones from the Chopart joint to metatarsal heads, were examined. This part of the foot could be divided into six levels depending on the features of the transverse arch: 1. scaphoid-cuboid level, 2. midtarsal level, 3. cuneiform level, 4. proximal metatarsal level, 5. distal metatarsal level, and 6. sesamoid level. The shape of the articular surfaces and the trabecular arrangement of the midtarsal, metatarsal, and sesamoid bones were also studied.