It may be very discreet, but it is far from superfluous. Podiatrists warn about the importance of the little toe in our daily lives.
Em Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsArthur Weasley, a wizard since birth and also, since always, fascinated by muggles (people who are not wizards), asks with great curiosity the ‘chosen one’ who gives the film its name, used to living among ‘normal’ people, the following: “what, exactly, is the function of a rubber ducky?”.
Now, when we look at our little toemany of us have the same expression on our faces as Ron’s father. So what, exactly, is the function of this finger, which is often not even worthy of having nails?
The truth is that the little toe, contrary to what one might think, It’s not useless: Helps balance and boost the body.
It’s true that these little guys are no longer used to grab branches like in the times when our ancestors moved around in the trees and, in everyday life, they only seem to show signs of life when we knock our foot on a piece of furniture or when they ‘jump’ out of our sandals and flip-flops.
Studies on the biomechanics of the foot indicate that the size of the toes can influence the running efficiency. In a 2009 study, researchers tested the effect of different finger lengths and concluded that people with longer fingers tend to expend more energy running. The conclusion points to a possible evolutionary advantage of shorter fingers in bipedal humans. In another study, however, it was found that runners tend to have longer fingers, which can translate into a small advantage in explosiveness and speed, although at the cost of greater energy expenditure.
It is in this context that the little finger, often seen as dispensable, appears with a concrete function. Podiatrist Bruce Pinker explained that his purpose is to contribute to the balance ea propulsion. With each stride, the foot “rolls” from the outside to the inside, in a movement considered normal and natural in human gait.
The joint (the “knot”) associated with the fifth finger also forms an essential support pattern. Doctor Wenjay Sung of White Memorial Medical Group described walking as if the body were resting on a “tripod”: the heel, the hallux joint (big toe) and the joint of the fifth toe. Removing one of these points can reduce stability.
Although some people are born without a little finger or lose it due to illness or accident and are able to adapt, the change can affect gait and increase the risk of imbalances and falls.
