the.com/calcaneus
the largest bone in your foot, quietly absorbing every step you'll ever take.
means The calcaneus is the heel bone, the large bone at the back of the foot that forms the heel and bears much of your body's weight when you stand or walk.
from Straight from Latin calcaneum, "heel," which grew from calx, calcis, "heel" — the same root that gave us "recalcitrant," literally "kicking back" with the heels. Anatomists kept the Latin word intact, so when you stamp your foot down, you're planting your calx exactly where the Romans did.
- impact king
- absorbs forces several times your body weight when running
- jumper hazard
- fractures often called the lover's fracture from falls
- achilles anchor
- the Achilles tendon attaches directly to its back
- baby invisible
- barely visible on infant X-rays, hardens with age
- first contact
- the heel bone that hits ground first each stride
achilles tendon rupture — most common injury to calcaneus attachment; affects athletes and occurs in ~1 per 3,500 people yearly
plantar fasciitis — inflammation where plantar fascia attaches to calcaneus heel; affects ~10% of population at some point
calcaneal fracture — most common tarsal bone fracture; ~60% result from falls or motor vehicle accidents