Fifth metatarsal
Os metatarsi V
The fifth metatarsal is the long bone on the outer edge of the foot that leads to the little toe. The bump at its base can be felt halfway along the side of the foot.
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Free 3D model of the fifth metatarsal. Right foot. Drag to rotate, zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll), click a bone to highlight and name it.
Key points
- The fifth metatarsal runs along the outer edge of the foot to the little toe.
- The bump at its base is the tuberosity, where a tendon from the leg attaches.
- It is the metatarsal most often broken.
- Fractures are named by where on the bone they fall.
What is the fifth metatarsal?
The fifth metatarsal is the long bone on the outer edge of the foot that leads to the little toe. It is the outermost of the five metatarsals.
Where is the fifth metatarsal?
It runs along the outer border of the foot, from the cuboid to the little toe.
Run a finger along the outer edge of your foot from the heel. The first firm bump, about halfway along, is the base of the fifth metatarsal.
Parts of the fifth metatarsal
Like every metatarsal it has a base, a shaft and a head. Its base flares outward into the tuberosity, also called the styloid process. No other metatarsal has one.
The shaft curves slightly and narrows toward a small head, which forms the joint at the base of the little toe.
What does the fifth metatarsal articulate with?
Its base meets the cuboid behind and the fourth metatarsal on its inner side. Its head meets the proximal phalanx of the little toe.
What attaches to the fifth metatarsal?
The fibularis brevis tendon attaches to the tuberosity. It runs down the outer side of the leg and turns the foot outward. A band of the plantar fascia attaches there too.
A second tendon, fibularis tertius, attaches a little further forward on top of the base.
Where the fifth metatarsal breaks
Three injuries are named by position. An avulsion fracture pulls off the tip of the tuberosity, usually when the ankle rolls. A Jones fracture crosses the bone slightly further forward, where the base narrows into the shaft. Blood supply is poorer there, so it heals more slowly.
A dancer's fracture is a spiral break toward the far end of the shaft. This page shows where these sit on the bone and gives no treatment advice.
Common questions
Where is the 5th metatarsal?
Along the outer border of the foot, between the cuboid and the little toe.
What is the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal?
The bump at the base of the bone, where the fibularis brevis tendon attaches.
What is the difference between a Jones fracture and an avulsion fracture?
An avulsion fracture is at the tip of the tuberosity. A Jones fracture is a little further forward, where the base meets the shaft.
What is a bunionette?
A prominence at the head of the fifth metatarsal, at the base of the little toe.
Is this 3D model of the fifth metatarsal free?
Yes. The interactive 3D model on this page is free to view and use for study, with no account or download needed. Its geometry comes from the open BodyParts3D data set (CC BY-SA).
About this free 3D model of the fifth metatarsal
The interactive 3D model on this page is free to use in your browser, with no sign-up. It is built from scan-based anatomy data, so every bone is a separate, correctly placed shape you can turn and inspect from any side.