The fifth metatarsal bone is a

long bone The long bones are those that are longer than they are wide. They are one of five types of bones: long, Short bone, short, Flat bone, flat, Irregular bone, irregular and Sesamoid bone, sesamoid. Long bones, especially the femur and tibia, are subj ...

in the foot, and is palpable along the

distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...

outer edges of the feet. It is the second smallest of the five

metatarsal bones The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the me ...

. The fifth metatarsal is analogous to the

fifth metacarpal bone The fifth metacarpal bone (metacarpal bone of the little finger or pinky finger) is the most medial and second-shortest of the metacarpal bones. Surfaces It presents on its base one facet on its superior surface, which is concavo-convex and artic ...

in the hand. As with the four other metatarsal bones it can be divided into three parts; a base, body and head. The base is the part closest to the

ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

and the head is closest to the toes. The narrowed part in the middle is referred to as the body (or shaft) of the bone. The bone is somewhat flat giving it two surfaces; the plantar (towards the

sole of the foot The sole is the bottom of the foot. In humans the sole of the foot is anatomically referred to as the plantar aspect. Structure The glabrous skin on the sole of the foot lacks the hair and pigmentation found elsewhere on the body, and it has ...

) and the dorsal side (the area facing upwards while standing). These surfaces are rough for the attachment of

ligament A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the: * Peritoneal li ...

s. The bone is curved longitudinally, so as to be concave below, slightly convex above. The base articulates behind, by a triangular surface cut obliquely in a

transverse Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle *Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...

direction, with the

cuboid In geometry, a cuboid is a hexahedron, a six-faced solid. Its faces are quadrilaterals. Cuboid means "like a cube", in the sense that by adjusting the length of the edges or the angles between edges and faces a cuboid can be transformed into a cub ...

; and medially, with the

fourth metatarsal The fourth metatarsal bone is a long bone in the foot. It is smaller in size than the third metatarsal bone and is the third longest (and smallest) of the five metatarsal bones. The fourth metatarsal is analogous to the fourth metacarpal bone in t ...

. The fifth metatarsal has a rough eminence on the lateral side of its base, known as the tuberosity or the styloid process. The plantar surface of the base is grooved for the tendon of the abductor digiti quinti. The head articulates with the fifth

proximal phalanx The phalanges (singular: ''phalanx'' ) are digital bones in the hands and feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the thumbs and big toes have two phalanges while the other digits have three phalanges. The phalanges are classed as long bones. ...

, the first bone in the fifth toe. A strong band of the plantar aponeurosis connects the projecting part of the tuberosity with the lateral

process A process is a series or set of activities that interact to produce a result; it may occur once-only or be recurrent or periodic. Things called a process include: Business and management *Business process, activities that produce a specific se ...

of the tuberosity of the

calcaneus In humans and many other primates, the calcaneus (; from the Latin ''calcaneus'' or ''calcaneum'', meaning heel) or heel bone is a bone of the tarsus of the foot which constitutes the heel. In some other animals, it is the point of the hock. S ...

Proximal fractures

$Proximal fractures of 5th metatarsal$ Proximal fractures of the fifth metatarsal are common, and are distinguished by their locations: *A ''proximal

diaphysis The diaphysis is the main or midsection (shaft) of a long bone. It is made up of cortical bone and usually contains bone marrow and adipose tissue (fat). It is a middle tubular part composed of compact bone which surrounds a central marrow cavit ...

'' fracture is typically a

stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...

, commonly among athletes. *A ''

metaphysis The metaphysis is the neck portion of a long bone between the epiphysis and the diaphysis. It contains the growth plate, the part of the bone that grows during childhood, and as it grows it ossifies near the diaphysis and the epiphyses. The metap ...

'' fracture is also called a

Jones fracture A Jones fracture is a broken bone in a specific part of the fifth metatarsal of the foot between the base and middle part that is known for its high rate of delayed healing or nonunion. It results in pain near the midportion of the foot on the ...

. Due to poor blood supply in this area, such a fracture sometimes does not heal and surgery is required. *A ''

tuberosity In the skeleton of humans and other animals, a tubercle, tuberosity or apophysis is a protrusion or eminence that serves as an attachment for skeletal muscles. The muscles attach by tendons, where the enthesis is the connective tissue between the ...

'' fracture is also called a

pseudo-Jones fracture An avulsion fracture is a bone fracture which occurs when a fragment of bone tears away from the main mass of bone as a result of physical trauma. This can occur at the ligament by the application of forces external to the body (such as a fa ...

or a

dancer's fracture An avulsion fracture is a bone fracture which occurs when a fragment of bone tears away from the main mass of bone as a result of physical trauma. This can occur at the ligament by the application of forces external to the body (such as a fall ...

. It is typically an

avulsion fracture An avulsion fracture is a bone fracture which occurs when a fragment of bone tears away from the main mass of bone as a result of physical trauma. This can occur at the ligament by the application of forces external to the body (such as a fa ...

. Normal anatomy that may simulate a fracture include mainly: *The "apophysis", which is the secondary

ossification center An ossification center is a point where ossification of the cartilage begins. The first step in ossification is that the cartilage cells at this point enlarge and arrange themselves in rows.Gray and Spitzka (1910), page 44. The matrix in which t ...

of the bone, and is normally present at 10 – 16 years of age. *

Os vesalianum An accessory bone or supernumerary bone is a bone that is not normally present in the body, but can be found as a variant in a significant number of people. It poses a risk of being misdiagnosed as bone fractures on radiography. Wrist and hand ...

, an

accessory bone An accessory bone or supernumerary bone is a bone that is not normally present in the body, but can be found as a variant in a significant number of people. It poses a risk of being misdiagnosed as bone fractures on radiography. Wrist and hand ...

which is present in between 0.1 - 1% of the population.

Muscle attachments

The

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...

of the

fibularis tertius In human anatomy, the fibularis tertius (also known as the peroneus tertius) is a muscle in the anterior compartment of the leg. It acts to tilt the sole of the foot away from the midline of the body ( eversion) and to pull the foot upward towar ...

inserts on the medial part of the dorsal surface and the

fibularis brevis In human anatomy, the fibularis brevis (or peroneus brevis) is a muscle that lies underneath the fibularis longus within the lateral compartment of the leg. It acts to tilt the sole of the foot away from the midline of the body (eversion) and to e ...

on the dorsal surface of the tuberosity. The plantar surface of the base is grooved for the tendon of the abductor digiti quinti, and gives origin to the flexor digiti minimi brevis. The fourth dorsal interosseus muscle originates from the medial side of shaft. The function of the muscle is to spread the toes. The third Plantar interosseus muscle originates from the medial side of the base and shaft of the fifth metatarsal. The function of the muscle is to move the fourth toe medially and move the toes together. The horizontal head of the

adductor hallucis The Adductor hallucis (Adductor obliquus hallucis) arises by two heads—oblique and transverse and is responsible for adducting the big toe. It has two heads, both are innervated by the lateral plantar nerve. Structure Oblique head The ''oblique ...

from the deep

transverse metatarsal ligament The transverse metatarsal ligament is a narrow band which runs across and connects together the heads of all the metatarsal bones. It is blended anteriorly with the plantar (glenoid) ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal articulations. Its plantar ...

, a narrow band which runs across and connects together the heads of all the metatarsal bones.

Additional images

File:Footx.jpg, X-ray of foot, showing phalangeal fracture File:Gray290.png, Skeleton of foot. Medial aspect. File:Gray360.png, Oblique section of left intertarsal and tarsometatarsal articulations, showing the synovial cavities. File:Foot bones - tarsus, metatarsus.jpg, Foot bones – tarsus, metatarsus File:Foot bones - metatarsus and phalanges.jpg, Foot bones – metatarsus and phalanges File:Metatarsus.jpg, Metatarsus

References

{{Bones of lower extremity Bones of the lower limb Bones of the foot 5