![]() Hominins are a class of primates within the Hominid family hominins are extinct today except for human beings. Interestingly, the transverse arch first appeared in hominins 3 million years before modern humans came on the scene. Other primates have more flexible feet that enable them to grab onto tree branches. Working together, the two arches provide humans with the ability to walk upright, hop, and run. Due to this variation, researchers concluded the transverse arch plays a substantial role in the foot’s stiffness, more so than previously thought. By contrast, cutting the plantar fascia in the longitudinal arch reduced foot stiffness by 23 percent. They made this finding after cutting the ligaments in the transverse arch in cadavers. In the recent study, researchers attributed 40 percent of the foot’s stiffness to this arch. The Transverse Arch’s Newfound Importance The transverse arch spans the top of the foot, running horizontally from side to side. The findings could have implications for how doctors treat foot disorders, like flat foot. But a new study published in Nature found another part of the foot - the transverse arch - is equally important to the foot’s unique ability to be both rigid and flexible. ![]() This arch and its ligaments act as shock absorbers when we jump or push off against the ground. Up until recently, studies of the human arch have focused on the longitudinal arch that runs along the bottom of the foot from the heel to the balls of the foot. Did you ever wonder why your foot is arched? Unlike other primates, humans have a foot arch that gives our feet the stiffness - and the flexibility - to walk upright and to push off when we run or jump. New research suggests the top of your foot may keep your foot arched even when your bottom arch has flattened. ![]()
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