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Glite Dictionary
🦶 Foot joint area 🦶 Foot joint
metatarsophalangeal

metatarsophalangeal

9.9
A joint where a long foot bone meets a toe bone
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛtəˌtɑrsəˈfælɪnˌdʒiəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : articulación metatarsofalángica
  • The athlete felt pain in her metatarsophalangeal joint after running the marathon.
  • metatarsophalangeal (MTP)

Examples

  • Hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and ankles are commonly affected symmetrically, and sufferers present with pain in the metacarpophalangeal joints of the hands or metatarsophalangeal joints of the feet.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Proper footwear can help prevent injuries to the metatarsophalangeal joints during physical activities.

  • Doctors often examine the metatarsophalangeal joints to diagnose foot injuries.

Surface Forms

metatarsophalangeal singular
metatarsophalangeals plural

Morphology

metatarsophalangeal = metatarsal + phalanx (semi-transparent) = metatarso + phalange + al

Formed from anatomical combining stems plus the adjective-forming suffix; clear in form but relies on specialist anatomical knowledge.

Etymology

Metatarsophalangeal combines meta- 'after', tarso- 'foot', and -phalangeal from phalanx 'toe or finger bone', so the noun names the joint where a metatarsal bone meets a toe bone, often called the MTP joint.