The TMA medical abbreviation most often means transmetatarsal amputation, a foot operation that removes the toes and the front part of the foot by cutting across the long bones of the midfoot, called the metatarsals. A note may say left TMA or right TMA to show which foot was treated.
In hematology and kidney care, the same letters mean thrombotic microangiopathy, a group of serious conditions in which tiny clots damage small blood vessels. The two meanings almost never share a page, so the setting settles it. This guide covers both, decodes sample chart lines and shows where TMA fits among other amputation terms.
At a glance
Stands for
Transmetatarsal amputation (foot, vascular and podiatric surgery)Other meanings
Thrombotic microangiopathy (hematology, nephrology); tissue microarray (pathology research)Word roots
Trans (across) + metatarsal (midfoot bones) + amputationWritten as
TMA, L TMA, R TMA, left or right TMAOften linked to
Diabetes, PAD, foot infection or gangreneCompare with
Toe amputation, ray amputation, BKA
TMA medical abbreviation foot meaning
The metatarsals are the five long bones between the ankle area and the toes. In a transmetatarsal amputation, the surgeon cuts across all five of them, removes the toes and the front of the foot, and closes the skin with a flap from the sole. The heel and the back of the foot stay, which lets many people walk again with a special shoe insert or a custom shoe.
Surgeons choose this level when the front of the foot cannot be saved but there is enough healthy tissue and blood flow farther back for a wound to heal. Keeping more of the foot usually means less energy is needed to walk than after an amputation higher up the leg.
Why a left or right TMA is done
Most transmetatarsal amputations are done for problems that start in the toes and spread. Common reasons include:
- Diabetic foot ulcers with deep infection, including bone infection
- Gangrene from poor blood flow, often linked to PAD
- Severe frostbite or crush injury of the forefoot
- Failure of earlier, smaller toe or ray amputations to heal
Notes name the side because each foot is a separate surgical site and because the other foot may need close watching too. A history line might read "R TMA, L great toe amp", meaning the right foot had a transmetatarsal amputation and the left big toe was removed.
TMA medical abbreviation vascular care
Healing after foot surgery depends on blood flow, so vascular surgeons are often involved before and after a TMA. Tests may include an ABI, which compares ankle and arm blood pressures, toe pressures, and imaging of the leg arteries. If flow is poor, a procedure to open or bypass the leg arteries may come first to give the wound a better chance.
Surgical progress note: "POD 14 s/p L TMA. Incision intact, no drainage. Nonweightbearing L, f/u vascular 2 wks." Two weeks after a left transmetatarsal amputation, the incision is healing, weight is being kept off the left foot, and a vascular check is booked.
Where TMA sits among foot and leg amputation levels
Amputation terms describe how much of the limb is removed. TMA keeps more than a below knee amputation but removes more than a single toe.
| Level | What is removed |
|---|---|
| Toe amputation | All or part of one toe |
| Ray amputation | A toe plus part of its metatarsal bone |
| TMA | All toes and the front of the foot across the metatarsals |
| BKA | Removal below the knee joint |
| AKA | Removal above the knee joint |
Recovery after TMA often includes wound care visits, a period of protected weight bearing and fitting for a shoe filler or brace.
Thrombotic microangiopathy, the blood meaning
In hematology and nephrology, TMA means thrombotic microangiopathy, a pattern of injury in which small clots form in tiny blood vessels. It typically shows up as low platelets, red blood cells broken apart in the bloodstream, and damage to organs such as the kidneys or brain. Conditions grouped under this term include TTP and HUS.
Thrombotic microangiopathy is usually managed urgently in hospital. A note using this meaning will talk about platelets, schistocytes on the blood smear, kidney function or plasma exchange, never about the foot. Pathology research also uses TMA for tissue microarray, a lab method for studying many tissue samples on one slide.
Questions families often ask after a TMA
- How long should weight stay off the foot, and who decides when that changes?
- What kind of shoe or insert will be needed for walking?
- How often should the other foot be checked, and by whom?
- Which signs at the incision, such as redness, drainage or dark skin, call for a quick visit?
Browse the procedure abbreviation hub for more operating room shorthand.
Recovery plans after foot surgery are set for each person by the surgical and wound care team. Ask them before changing how you walk on, dress or protect the foot.
Frequently asked questions
What does TMA mean in foot surgery?
It means transmetatarsal amputation, removal of the toes and front of the foot across the metatarsal bones. The heel stays, which helps many people walk with a shoe insert afterward.
What does left TMA mean?
It means a transmetatarsal amputation was done on the left foot. Right TMA, or R TMA, means the right foot.
Is TMA the same as a toe amputation?
No. A toe amputation removes one toe, while a TMA removes all the toes and part of the foot. A ray amputation falls in between.
What does TMA mean in a blood test or kidney note?
There it means thrombotic microangiopathy, a group of conditions where tiny clots injure small blood vessels and organs. TTP and HUS are examples.