Toe phalanges

Looks like

Fourteen short bones in the toes — two in the big toe, three in each of the others.

What it does

Spread the load at push-off and help balance.

Keeping it well

Stubbed toes often break; most heal with strapping to the next toe. In diabetes, a wound or colour change on a toe needs prompt care.

Its parts

• Right big toe
• Right second toe
• Right third toe
• Right fourth toe
• Right little toe
• Left big toe
• Left second toe
• Left third toe
• Left fourth toe
• Left little toe

Related conditions

• Acromegaly
• Buerger's disease (thromboangiitis obliterans)
• Bunion & foot deformity
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus)
• Flat feet (pes planus)
• Fractures
• Fragility fracture
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Ganglion cyst
• Gout
• Hammer toe and claw toe
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Ingrown toenail
• Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
• Lymphoedema
• Morton's neuroma
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
• Osteomalacia & rickets
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Osteoporosis
• Paget's disease of bone
• Restless legs syndrome
• Sarcoma
• Varicose veins
• Venomous snakebite
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
• Vitamin D deficiency