Achilles Tendonitis
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the human body and can withstand forces of 1,000 pounds or more. But it also the most frequently ruptured tendon.
Both professional and weekend athletes can suffer from Achilles tendonitis, a common overuse injury and inflammation of the tendon.
Athlete's foot
A fungal infection of the skin of the foot; called also tinea pedis. It causes itching and often blisters and cracks, usually between the toes. Causative agents are Candida albicans, Epidermophyton floccosum, and species of Trichophyton, which thrive on warmth and dampness. If not arrested, it can cause a rash and itching in other parts of the body as well. It is likely to be recurrent, since the fungus survives under the toenails and reappears when conditions are favorable. Although Athlete's foot is usually little more than an uncomfortable nuisance, its open sores provide excellent sites for more serious infections. Early treatment and health care supervision insure correct diagnosis and prevention of complications. Specific diagnosis is made by microscopic examination or culture of skin scrapings for the fungus.
Bunion
An abnormal prominence on the inner aspect of the first metatarsal head, with bursal formation, and resulting in lateral or valgus displacement of the great toe. Bunions can be caused by congenital malformation of the bony structure of the foot or by joint disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and are aggravated by wearing high-heeled shoes with pointed toes. When the shoes do not fit properly they force the great toe toward the outer side of the foot. The result is continued pressure on the joint where the great toe articulates with the first metatarsal head. Chronic irritation causes a build-up of soft tissue and underlying bone in the area. Symptoms are swelling, redness, and pain. Mild cases can be relieved by changing to properly fitting shoes. If there is severe pain making ambulation difficult or impossible, anti-inflammatory agents may be effective. Surgical correction (bunionectomy) is indicated when all other measures fail.
Bursa
A tissue space (fibrous sac) that is lined with synovial membrane (joint tissue) and contains a small quantity of synovial fluid (joint fluid). Bursas are found in between tendon and bone, skin and bone and muscles. They function to facilitate fluid movement.
Bursitis
Inflammation of a bursa, occasionally accompanied by a calcific deposit.
Calluses
A callus is an area of hard, thickened skin that can occur across the ball of the foot, on the heel, or on the outer side of the big toe. While many consider them a skin problem, they actually are systemic of a problem with the bone.
Calluses have painful nerves and bursal sacs (fluid-filled balloons that act as shock absorbers) beneath them, causing symptoms ranging from sharp, shooting pain to dull, aching soreness.
Calluses form from repeated friction and pressure, as the shoe (or ground) rubs against a bony prominence (bone spur) on the toe or foot. The skin thickens in response to this pressure. Small amounts of friction or pressure over long periods of time cause a corn or callus. A great deal of friction or pressure over shorter periods of time can cause blisters or open sores. Calluses typically develop under a metatarsal head (the long bone that forms the ball of the foot) that is carrying more than its fair share of the body weight, usually due to it being dropped down or due to its longer length.
Causalgia
A burning pain often associated with trophic skin changes in the hand or foot, caused by peripheral nerve injury. The syndrome may be aggravated by the slightest stimuli or it may be intensified by the emotions. Causalgia usually begins several weeks after the initial injury and the pain is described as intense, with patients sometimes taking elaborate precautions to avoid any stimulus they know to be capable of causing a flare-up of symptoms. They often will go to great extremes to protect the affected limb and become preoccupied with such protection. Any one of a variety of injuries to the hand, foot, arm, or leg can lead to causalgia, but in most cases there has been some injury to the median or the sciatic nerve. Injections of a local anesthetic at the painful site may bring relief. Sympathectomy may be necessary to eliminate the severe pain, and in the majority of cases it is quite successful. Psychotherapy may be necessary when emotional instability is suspected. Emotional problems may have been present before the initial injury, or they may result from the intense suffering characteristic of severe causalgia.
Claw Toe
Normally is caused by nerve damage from diseases like diabetes or alcoholism, which can weaken tour foot muscles. Having claw toe means your toes "claw," digging down into the soles of your shoes and creating painful calluses. Claw toe gets worse without treatment and may become a permanent deformity over time.Common symptoms include:
Toes bent upward (extension) from the joints at the ball of the foot.Toes bent downward (flexion) at the middle joints toward the sole of your shoe.Corns on the top of the toe or under the ball of the foot.
Clubfoot
Deformity in which the foot is twisted out of normal position; called also talipes. The foot may have an abnormally high longitudinal arch (talipes cavus) or it may be in dorsiflexion (talipes calcaneus) or plantar flexion (talipes equinus), abducted, everted (talipes valgus), adducted, inverted (talipes varus), or various combinations of these (talipes calcaneovalgus, talipes calcaneovarus, talipes equinovalgus, or talipes equinovarus). There are several theories as to the cause of clubfoot. A familial tendency or arrested growth during fetal life may contribute to its development, or it may be caused by a defect in the ovum. It sometimes accompanies meningomyelocele as a result of paralysis. In mild clubfoot there are slight changes in the structure of the foot; more severe cases involve orthopedic deformities of both the foot and leg. Although clubfoot is usually congenital, an occasional case in an older child may be caused by injury or poliomyelitis.
Corns
Calluses that form on the toes because the bones push up against the shoe and put pressure on the skin. The surface layer of the skin thickens and builds up, irritating the tissues underneath. Hard corns are usually located on the top of the toe or on the side of the small toe. Soft corns resemble open sores and develop between the toes as they rub against each other.
Dysplasia (Epiphysealis Hemimelica)
Dysplasia is a disorder affecting the bone joints. It is characterized by overgrowth of the cartilage on the end of one or more of the long bones (carpal or tarsal bones) in the hand or foot. Less often, the cartilage on other bones such as those in the ankle, knee or hip joint can be affected. Usually only one limb is involved. The limbs may be unequal in length.
Fibroma
A firm, benign, nodular, clearly circumscribed and palpable mass of fibrous connective tissue.
Flatfoot
A condition in which one or more arches of the foot have flattened out.
Footdrop
A contracture deformity associated with bed rest and immobility, resulting in the inability to place the heel on the ground. 2. dropping of the foot from paralysis of the anterior muscles of the leg.
Fungus
A general term for a group of eukaryotic organisms (mushrooms, yeasts, molds, etc.) marked by the absence of chlorophyll, the presence of a rigid cell wall in some stage of the life cycle, and reproduction by means of spores. Fungi are present in the soil, air, and water, but only a few species can cause disease. Among the fungal diseases (mycoses) are "histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, ringworm, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, ringworm, Athlete's foot, and thrush. Although the fungal diseases develop slowly, are difficult to diagnose, and are resistant to treatment, they are rarely fatal except for systemic mycotic infections, which can be life-threatening, especially for immunocompromised patients.
Gout
Condition characterized by abnormally elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis), deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, and decreased kidney function and kidney stones. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines, that are part of many foods we eat. The tendency to develop gout and elevated blood uric acid level (hyperuricemia) is often inherited and can be promoted by obesity, weight gain, alcohol intake, high blood pressure, abnormal kidney function, and drugs. The most reliable diagnostic test for gout is the identification of crystals in joints, body fluids and tissues.
Haglund's Deformity
Haglund Deformity (also known as "pump bump" or "retrocalcaneal bursitis") is a painful enlargement of the back of the heel bone that becomes irritated by shoes.It normally appears as a red, painful, and swollen area in the back of the heel bone. Women tend to develop the condition more than men because of the irritation from rigid heel counters of shoes rubbing up and down on the back of the heel bone.
Hallux Limitus
A condition that results in stiffness of the big toe joint. Hallux Limitus is normally caused by an abnormal alignment of the long bone behind the big toe joint called the first metatarsal bone. Left untreated, Hallux Limitus can cause other joint problems, calluses, and diabetic foot ulcers. Painful bone spurs also can develop on the top of the big toe joint.
Hallux Rigidis (rigid big toe)
When you have a stiff big toe, walking can become painful and difficult. An unmovable big toe (Hallux Rigidus) often is the most common form of arthritis in your foot, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
"Wear-and-tear" injuries also can wear down the articular cartilage, causing raw bone ends to rub together. A bone spur, or overgrowth, may develop on the top of the bone. This overgrowth can prevent the toe from bending as much as it needs to when you walk.
Symptoms may include:
• Pain in the joint when you are active, especially as you push-off on the toes when you walk.
• Swelling around the joint.
• A bump, like a bunion or callus, that develops on the top of the foot.
• Stiffness in the big toe and an inability to bend it up or down.
Hallux valgus
Anlation of the great toe toward the other toes of the foot.
Hallux varus
Angulation of the great toe away from the other toes of the foot. Hallux Varus is a condition in which the big toe points away from the second toe. It often is one complication from bunion surgery. The condition has been linked to a number of other causes, including congenital deformity, tight or short tendons, and trauma or injury.
Hammertoe
A deformity of the second, third or fourth toes. In this condition, the toe is bent at the middle joint, resembling a hammer.
Intoeing
Intoeing is a condition caused by curving inward of the feet when walking or running. Young children normally outgrow this condition without special shoes
Lateral Ankle Pain
Chronic lateral ankle pain is recurring or chronic pain on the outside part of the ankle that often develops after an injury such as a sprained ankle. Other conditions, however, may also cause chronic ankle pain.
Signs and symptoms include:
• Ankle instability
• Difficulty walking on uneven ground or in high heels
• Pain, sometimes intense, on the outer side of the ankle
• Repeated ankle sprains
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Tenderness.
While ankle sprains are the most common cause of chronic lateral ankle pain, other causes may include:
• A fracture in one of the bones that make up the ankle joint
• Arthritis of the ankle joint
• Inflammation of the joint lining
• Injury to the nerves that pass through the ankle. In this case, the nerves become stretched, torn, injured by a direct blow, or pinched under pressure
• Scar tissue in the ankle after a sprain. The scar tissue takes up space in the joint, putting pressure on the ligaments
• Torn or inflamed tendon
Metatarsalgia (foot pain in ball)
Foot pain in the "ball of your foot," the area between your arch and the toes, is generally called metatarsalgia. The pain usually centers on one or more of the five bones (metatarsals) in this mid-portion of the foot.
Also known as "dropped metatarsal heads," metatarsalgia can cause abnormal weight distribution due to over-pronation.
Metatarsalgia causes one of metatarsal joints to become painful or inflamed. People often develop a callus under the affected joint. Metatarsalgia can also be caused by arthritis, foot injury (sports, car accidents, repeated stress), hard surfaces (cement or tile floors) and specific footwear (rigid soled work boots). Inappropriate shoes will only aggravate the condition.
A simple change of shoes may solve the problem. In more severe cases, full-length custom-molded foot inserts may need to be prescribed.
Morton's neuralgia
Pain in the metatarsus of the foot.
Morton's toe
Tenderness or pain in the metatarsal area of the foot and in the third and fourth toes caused by pressure on a neuroma of the branch of the medial plantar nerve supplying these toes. The neuroma is produced by chronic compression of the nerve between the metatarsal heads. Called also plantar neuroma and Morton's disease, foot, or neuralgia.
Osteoarthritis
A type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. Also known as degenerative arthritis.
Osteochondroma
An abnormal, solitary, benign growth of bone and cartilage, typically at the end of a long bone. Osteochondromas are usually discovered in persons 15 to 25 years of age. They are typically detected when the area is injured, or when they become large. It can be a hereditary condition, in which case it may be called hereditary multiple exostoses (HMS).
Osteomyelitis
Inflammation of the bone due to infection, for example by the bacteria salmonella or staphylococcus. Osteomyelitis is sometimes a complication of surgery or injury, although infection can also reach bone tissue through the bloodstream. Both the bone and the bone marrow may be infected. Symptoms include deep pain and muscle spasms in the area of inflammation, and fever. Treatment is by bed rest, antibiotics (usually injected locally), and sometimes surgery to remove dead bone tissue.
Osteopenia
Mild thinning of the bone mass, but not as severe as osteoporosis. Osteopenia results when the formation of bone (osteoid synthesis) is not enough to offset normal bone loss (bone lysis). Osteopenia is generally considered the first step along the road to osteoporosis, a serious condition in which bone density is extremely low and bones are porous and prone to shatter. Diminished bone calcification, as seen on plain X-ray film, is referred to as osteopenia, whether or not osteoporosis is present. The diagnosis of osteopenia may also be made by a special X-ray machine for bone density testing.
Osteoporosis
Thinning of the bones with reduction in bone mass due to depletion of calcium and bone protein. Osteoporosis predisposes a person to fractures, which are often slow to heal and heal poorly. It is more common in older adults, particularly post-menopausal women; in patients on steroids; and in those who take steroidal drugs.
Peroneal Tendon Dislocation/Dysfunction
The Peroneal tendons are two tendons whose muscles (Peroneus Brevis and Peroneus Longus) that originate on the outside of the calves. These two muscles allow you to roll to the outside of the foot while standing.
Also called "stirrup" tendons because they help hold up the arch of the foot, the muscles are held in place by a band of tissue called the peroneal retinaculum. Injury to the retinaculum can cause it to stretch or even tear. When this happens, the peroneal tendons can dislocate from their groove on the back of the fibula. The tendons can be seen to roll over the outside of the fibula, damaging the tendons.
Snow skiing, football, basketball, and soccer are the most common sports activities that can result in peroneal tendon dislocation. Ankle sprains have also known to lead to the condition.
Pes cavus
A foot with an abnormally high longitudinal arch, either congenital or caused by contractures or disturbed muscle balance.
Plantar fasciitis
Pain on the bottom of the feet -- very irritating, but rarely serious.Commonly traced to an inflammation of the plantar fascia, the tissue that connects your heel bone and toes.
Plantar Keratosis (IPK)
A deep callus directly under the ball of the foot. IPK is caused by a "dropped metatarsal," which happens when the metatarsal head drops to a lower level than the surrounding metatarsals and protrudes from the bottom of the foot. This results in more pressure being applied in this area and causes a thick callus to form.
Pronation
The act of assuming the prone position, or the state of being prone. Applied to the hand, turning the palm backward (posteriorly) or downward, performed by medial rotation of the forearm. Applied to the foot, a combination of eversion and abduction movements taking place in the tarsal and metatarsal joints and resulting in lowering of the medial margin of the foot, hence of the longitudinal arch.
Raynaud disease
A condition resulting in skin discoloration of the fingers and/or toes when a person is exposed to changes in temperature (cold or hot) or to emotional events. This condition can occur alone or as a part of another disease (such as rheumatoid arthritis). When the condition occurs alone it is referred to as "Raynaud disease" or primary Raynaud phenomenon. When it accompanies other diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis), it is called secondary Raynaud phenomenon.
The skin discoloration occurs because an abnormal spasm of the blood vessels causes a diminished blood supply. Initially, the digits involved turn white because of diminished blood supply, then turn blue because of prolonged lack of oxygen and finally, the blood vessels reopen, causing a local "flushing" phenomenon, which turns the digits red. This three-phase color sequence (white to blue to red), most often upon exposure to cold temperature, is characteristic of Raynaud disease.
Sesamoiditis
Problems with two small bones (the sesamoids, known as the "ball bearings of the foot") found beneath the first metatarsal bones. May inflame or rupture under the stress of exercise.
Shin splint
An inflammatory condition of the front part of the tibia (the big bone in the lower leg) that results from overuse as, for example, from running too much on hard roads or sidewalks. Shin splints are due to injury to the tendon (called the posterior peroneal tendon) and adjacent tissues in the front (anterior) of the lower leg.
The pain from shin splints is usually noticed early in exercise, then lessens, and reappears later in running. Characteristically, the pain is dull at first but with continuing trauma worsens. It may cause the person to stop running. Treatment involves a multifaceted approach of "relative rest." The aim is to restore the runner to a pain-free state.
Sprain
An injury to a ligament that results from overuse or trauma. Sprains occurs when there is a stretch or tear in one or more ligaments, slightly elastic bands of tissue that keep the bones in place while permitting movement at a joint. The treatment of a sprain involves applying ice packs, resting and elevating the involved joint, and using anti-inflammatory medications. Depending on the severity and location of the sprain, support bracing can help. Local cortisone injections are sometimes given for persistent inflammation. Activity may be resumed gradually. Ice application after activity can reduce or prevent recurrent inflammation. Occasionally, supportive bracing can prevent reinjury. In severe sprains, orthopedic surgical repair may be performed.
Stress fracture
A fracture caused by repetitive stress, as may occur in sports, strenuous exercise, or heavy physical labor. Stress fractures are especially common in the metatarsal bones of foot, particularly in runners. Osteoporosis increases the possibility of stress fractures. Treatment is by rest, disuse, and sometimes splinting or casting to prevent reinjury during healing.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
A complex of symptoms resulting from compression of the posterior tibial nerve or of the plantar nerves in the tarsal tunnel, with pain, numbness, and tingling paresthesia of the sole of the foot.
Tendinitis
Inflammation of a tendon (the tissue by which muscle attaches to bone). Tendinitis most commonly occurs as a result of injury, such as to the tendons around the shoulder or elbow. It can also occur as a result of an underlying inflammatory rheumatic disease, such as reactive arthritis or gout. Tendinitis is synonymous with tendonitis.
Tibialis Posterior Tendonitis
Painful, progressive flat foot that is caused by inflammation of the tendon of the tibialis posterior. The tendon then becomes inflamed, stretched or suffers a partial or total tear. If left untreated, this condition may lead to severe disability and chronic pain. Some people are predisposed to this condition if they have flatfeet or an abnormal attachment of the tendon to the bones in the midfoot
To prevent reinjury, orthotic devices often are recommended.