What are the structural and functional differences between a tarsal and a metatarsal?

Answer 1

The short version: The tarsals help with shock absorbance by support the arches of the feet. The metatarsals allow for greater leverage during activity.

The long(er) version: The tarsal bones are more compact and irregular in shape than metatarsal bones, which are longer and more narrow. When a person walks, the tarsal bones work together to reduce the impact of the foot hitting the ground and they also help maintain balance on unstable or irregular surfaces. They do this by allowing the foot to change shape to match the shape, texture, and compliance of the walking surface. When a person's foot hits the ground during walking, the tarsals move along one another in such a way that the foot becomes more loose, reducing the force of the impact. In contrast, when a person needs to push off of the ground during walking, running, jumping, etc. the tarsals and their joints need to be more tight, allowing them to work as one large lever for more force production. The metatarsals effectively extend the length of the foot, allowing for a stronger push-off (similar to using a really long wrench vs a short wrench). If a person's arch is collapsed during the push-off part of walking, the tarsals are relatively loose and this reduces the amount of force that can be transmitted through the foot (via the metatarsals) during walking.