astragalus

The etymology from astragalus takes us to the Latin word astragălus, in turn derived from the Greek talus. The term is used in the anatomy, on the architecture, on the botany and in the military terrain.

At the anatomical level, one of the bones that makes up the tarsus. The tarsus, meanwhile, is the set of seven bone pieces found in each hind limb, located between the metatarsal bones and the leg.

Astragalus, also referred to as cheetah or taba, is located in the area of ankle and articulates with the tibia and the fibula. It is a short bone that allows the foot to join the leg.

The talus is located in the tarsus.

Unlike the rest of the bones, the talus lacks muscular attachment. It has head, neck Y Body and it is possible to distinguish six faces on it.

Injuries to the talus

The body of the talus is its most posterior and voluminous sector. In this part, various cartilaginous damage, either for a trauma acute or minor repetitive trauma.

These injuries, which can cause from discomfort when traveling to disabling pain, are diagnosed through X-rays, CT scans or MRIs. Treatment can be surgical or simply require the use of templates.

The talus fracture, on the other hand, it can occur in the body, neck or head of the bone. It is usually diagnosed with an x-ray and can be treated with surgery or conservatively.

The taba game

It is important to mention that, so far, in this article we refer to the talus in the human being. This bone, however, is present in other species.

Astragalus of certain animals is used for the development of taba game. Usually the lamb astragalus, which is thrown on a table or on the floor as if it were a dice.

The play It consists of trying to guess which side of the talus or taba will be facing up after the launch. The usual thing is that units or chips are wagered that are won if the protruding parts of the talus are exposed, while they are lost if the sunken parts remain on the upper side.

Classic columns usually have a talus.

Astragalus in architecture

In the field of architecture, the talus is the ring which is the beginning of capital, surrounding the shank of the column. It is an element of the decoration that usually consists of two discs.

Astragalus are part of the classical columns. Its use was frequent in the ionic orders Y dorics, giving rise to a unity with the capital by constituting itself as the lower region of its drum.

The tragacanth, a shrub native to Asia

The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) mentions that Astragalus can be used as a synonym for tragacanth. This is the name of a shrub that can be up to two meters tall with whitish flowers.

From the branches and trunk of the talus flows a eraser known as gum tragacanth. This rubber has various industrial uses.

Finally, it should be noted that an astragalus is also called a ornamentation that exhibited, in ancient times, certain pieces from artillery. It was a cord that was located between two fillets.