Position. The navicular bone is a bone of the tarsus. The latter is one of the parts of the skeleton of the foot (1). The tarsus is the part at the back of the foot and is made up of seven bones: the talus, calcaneus, cuboid bone, three cuneiform bones, and navicular bone.

Structure. The navicular bone, also called the tarsal scaphoid, is a flattened bone in the shape of a boat. Placed towards the medial face, it is located between the embankment at the back and the three cuneiform bones at the front. On its medial face, the navicular bone forms a bulge, called the navicular tuberosity or scaphoid tubercle.

Body weight support. One of the main functions of the bones of the foot, including the navicular bone, is to support the weight of the body. (2)

Static and dynamic of the foot. The skeleton of the foot, including the navicular bone, makes it possible in particular to maintain the support of the body and to perform various movements with the foot, including the propulsion of the body when walking (2) (3).

Foot bone fractures. The skeleton of the foot can suffer fractures. However, fracture of the navicular bone is not one of the most common fractures. (4)

Anomalies. Certain abnormalities can occur in the skeleton of the foot and affect the navicular bone. These bone abnormalities may in particular be due to malformations, fractures or immobilization. Different cases can be observed: hollow foot, varus foot, flat foot, club foot, or even equine foot (4).

Maladies of the os. Many diseases can affect the bones and change their structure. Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions. It constitutes a loss of bone density that is generally found in people over the age of 60. It accentuates bone fragility and promotes bills.

Medical treatment. Depending on the pathology diagnosed, different treatments may be prescribed to regulate or strengthen bone tissue or reduce pain and inflammation.

Surgical treatment. Depending on the type of fracture, a surgical operation can be performed with the installation of a screw plate, nails or an external fixator.

Orthopedic treatment. Depending on the type of fracture, a plaster cast may be performed.

Medical imaging exams. X-ray, CT, MRI, scintigraphy or bone densitometry examinations can be used to assess bone pathologies.

Medical analysis. In order to identify certain pathologies, blood or urine analyzes can be carried out such as, for example, the dosage of phosphorus or calcium.

“Little Foot” (in French, petit pied) is the name given to a skeleton ofAustralopithecus prometheus discovered in 1994 by paleoanthropologist Ronald J. Clarke. It owes its name “Little Foot” to the small size of the foot bones initially found in a box of bones classified as coming from bovines. After the discovery of these small foot bones, the researchers found 90% of the skeleton: “Little Foot” thus became the most complete Australopithecus skeleton discovered to date. After highly variable dating results, a new method has made it possible to date it to 3,67 million years old (5) (6).