foot
(fut 
, fēt )
Plural: feet
ABBR: ft
The terminal part of the leg below the ankle. The bones of the foot include the tarsals, metatarsals, and phalanges.
SEE: illus.; leg for illus.; skeleton.
athlete's f.A scaling, cracked, or macerated rash typically found between the toes and occasionally on the sole of the foot or the heels. SYN: dermatophytosis; tinea pedis.
SEE: illus.
It is caused by infection of moist, warm skin by a fungus, Tinea pedis.
The rash is often mildly itchy.
Inspection of the feet is sufficient to diagnose athlete's foot. Cultures or scrapings of affected tissues are rarely needed.
Topical antifungal drugs, such as terbinafine, effectively treat the condition except when maceration is prominent and bacterial infection is also present. Antifungals are usually applied twice daily to affected skin for a month. In these instances, or in cases when cellulitis is superimposed on fungal infection, antibiotics are needed.
The prognosis for full recovery is good although the disease often recurs.
The feet, esp. the spaces between the toes, should be carefully dried after bathing. Well-ventilated shoes and absorbent socks should be worn but not reworn on consecutive days without laundering. Some people with diabetes mellitus may develop refractory disease. Patients whose condition does not respond to therapy should be tested for diabetes, e.g., with a fasting blood glucose test, and should be educated about the importance of maintaining medication.
end f.The enlarged end of a nerve fiber that terminates adjacent to the dendrite of another nerve cell. SYN: bouton terminal.
immersion f.Pain, inflammation, or paresthesias of the feet after submersion in water. SYN: tropical immersion foot.
jogger's f.A colloquial term for tarsal tunnel syndrome.
SEE: Madura foot.
march f.An insidious fracture of one of the metatarsal bones of the foot.
SEE: march fracture.
mossy f.Nonfilarial lymphatic obstruction of the legs, commonly found in volcanic regions of Africa, where it occurs primarily in those who walk barefoot on alkaline, mineral-rich soil. SYN: podoconiosis.
Seattle f.An artificial foot designed to absorb the impact of foot-to-floor contact with a dynamic elastic structure.
split f.A condition in which a cleft extends between the digits to the metatarsal region, usually due to a missing digit and metatarsal. SYN: cleft foot.
tabetic f.Twisted foot in locomotor ataxia.
trench f.Degeneration of the skin of the feet caused by prolonged exposure to moisture. The condition, which resembles frostbite, may be prevented by ensuring that clean, dry socks are worn at all times. The feet do not have to be exposed to cold to develop this condition.
SACH f.Solid ankle cushion heel foot; a prosthetic foot that has no definite ankle joint but is designed to absorb shock and allow movement of the shank over the foot during ambulation.