metatarsus /-tär″səs/ [Gk, meta + tarsos, flat surface] , n., a part of the foot, consisting of five bones, numbered I to V from the medial side. Each bone has a long, slender body; a wedge-shaped proximal end; a convex distal end; and flattened, grooved sides for the attachment of ligaments. The metatarsal bones articulate with the tarsus proximally and the first row of phalanges distally. Deformities of the metatarsus include metatarsus valgus and metatarsus varus.
