Medical Terminology: Foot Tests

1. What are Foot Tests?
There are a number of injuries and types of infection that affect the feet. The most common of these are bunions, a torn or ruptured Achilles tendon, or an injury or infection to a nail. A bunion is an abnormal alignment of the great toe that is characteristized by a protruding metatarsal joint and the great toe overlapping the neighboring toe. The Achilles tendon is the common term used for the calcaneal tendon that connects the heel of the foot to the calf. Contraction of the calcaneal tendon causes the foot to push down. Overuse of pushing down the foot might lead to inflammation. Injury might lead to a torn or ruptured calcaneal tendon. Nails can become injured or infected to a degree when all or a portion of the nail needs to be removed, allowing a new healthy nail to grow in its place.

2. Bunion Surgery
Bunion surgery is designed to provide relief of discomfort to the patient when standing or walking.

Understanding Bunion Surgery
Patients who have hallux valgus (abnormal angulation of the great toe) or hallux abductus valgus (abnormal inward leading of the great toe), which is commonly referred to as a bunion, can have the condition repaired by surgery. This condition is caused by pressure, resulting in malfunction of the tendons, ligaments, and structures that support the first metatarsal as a result of excessive ligamentous flexibility, abnormal bone growth, or flat feet. There is a genetic relationship with hallux valgus. The most common methods used to repair a bunion are:
- Realignment: This procedure realigns ligaments of the great toe joint.
- Arthrodesis: This procedure fuses the great toe joint.
- Lapidus Procedure: This procedure fuses the joint between the metatarsal bone joints and the mid foot.
- Osteotomy: This procedure removes a wedge from the foot or the great toe.
- Bunionectomy: This procedure removes the metatarsal head, which is the bone that bulges.
- Implantation: This procedure replaces the joint of the great toe with an artificial joint.
- Resection Arthroplasty: This procedure removes the bone from the end of the first metatarsal bone at the metatarsophalangeal joint and reshapes the great toe and the metatarsal bones.

3. Achilles Tendon Repair
The purpose of Achilles tendon repair is to restore movement to a foot.

Understanding Achilles Tendon Repair
The calcaneal tendon, commonly referred to as the Achilles tendon, connects the calf to the heel and can rupture or disconnect as result of injury. The Achilles tendon repair reconnects the tendon. There are two methods used to repair the Achilles tendon:
. Percutaneous Surgery: This procedure reconnects the tendon through two or more small incisions.
. Open Surgery: This procedure reconnects the tendon through a large incision.

4. Nail Removal
Nail removal is performed to remove an injured or infected nail.

Understanding Nail Removal
A health care provider removes all or part of a nail because of injury or due to a severe fungal infection, which is the most common nail infection. There are two methods of removing a nail:
. Debridement: This procedure removes the part of nail that is damaged or infected.
. Avulsion: This procedure removes the entire nail.

Basic Questions
Foot Tests

1. What is the Achilles tendon?
The Achilles tendon is the common term used for the calcaneal tendon that connects the heel of the foot to the calf.

2. What happens when the calcaneal tendon contracts?
Contraction of the calcaneal tendon causes the foot to push down.

3. What might occur if the calcaneal tendon is overly used?
Overuse of pushing down the foot might lead to inflammation.

4. What is a bunion?
A bunion is an abnormal alignment of the great toe that is characteristized by a protruding metatarsal joint and the great toe overlapping the neighboring toe.

5. What is the purpose of bunion surgery?
Bunion surgery is designed to provide relief of discomfort to the patient when standing or walking.

6. What is hallux valgus?
Hallux valgus is abnormal angulation of the great toe.

7. What is hallux abductus valgus?
Hallux abductus valgus is abnormal inward leading of the great toe.

8. What causes a bunion?
A bunion is caused by pressure resulting in malfunction of the tendons, ligaments, and structures that support the first metatarsal as a result of excessive ligamentous flexibility, abnormal bone growth, or flat feet.

9. What is realignment?
This procedure realigns ligaments of the great toe joint.

10. What is arthrodesis?
Arthrodesis fuses the great toe joint.

11. What is a Lapidus procedure?
The Lapidus procedure fuses the joint between the metatarsal bone joints and the mid-foot.

12. What is an osteotomy?
This procedure removes a wedge from the foot or the great toe.

13. What is a bunionectomy?
This procedure removes the metatarsal head, which is the bone that bulges.

14. What is an implantation?
Implantation replaces the joint of the great toe with an artificial joint.

15. What is resection arthroplasty?
Resection arthroplasty removes the bone from the end of the first metatarsal bone at the metatarsophalangeal joint and reshapes the great toe and the metatarsal bones.

16. What is the purpose of Achilles tendon repair?
The purpose of Achilles tendon repair is to restore movement to a foot.

17. What is a ruptured Achilles tendon?
The calcaneal tendon that connects the calf to the heel becomes disconnected.

18. What is percutaneous surgery?
Percutaneous surgery reconnects the tendon through two or more small incisions.

19. What is open surgery?
Open surgery reconnects the tendon through a large incision.

20. What is the most common nail infection?
A fungal infection is the most common nail infection.

21. What is debridement?
Debridement removes the part of nail that is damaged or infected.

22. What is avulsion?
Avulsion removes the entire nail.

23. What is a tendon?
A tendon is a band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone.

24. What is a ligament?
A ligament is a band of connective tissue that connects together two or more bones or cartilages.

25. What is the metatarsophalangeal joint?
The metatarsophalangeal joint is the joint closest to the foot that connects the toe to the foot.