Cold-weather warfare
Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions at temperatures as warm as for as few as 13 hours. Exposure to these environmental conditions causes deterioration and destruction of the capillaries and leads to morbidity of the surrounding flesh. Affected feet may become numb, affected by erythema (turning red) or cyanosis (turning blue) as a result of poor blood supply, and may begin emanating a decaying odour if the early stages of necrosis (tissue death) set in. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections. If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which may require amputation. If trench foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling returns. Trench foot affected tens of thousands of soldiers engaged in trench warfare in World War I. Keeping feet warm and dry, or at least changing into warm and dry replacement footgear, is the best way to avoid trench foot.
Forefoot
The forefoot is the anterior aspect of the foot, composed of the five metatarsal bones, the fourteen phalanges and associated soft tissue structures. It is a common site of pathology in podiatry, and is the anatomic region involved in such conditions as hallux valgus, hallux rigidus, and Morton's neuroma, among others. In cases of severe deformity, such as in Charcot joints seen with diabetic neuropathy, the forefoot can be reconstructed by arthroplasty.