Orthopedics Terminology

Myel/o

bone marrow; spinal cord

-oma

tumor; mass

-itis

inflamation

oste/o 

bone 

osse/o

bone

chondr/o

cartilage

-cyte 

cell 

-tome

instrument used to cut 

-tomy

process of cutting; incision

-um

structure

endo-

within 

peri-

around

crani/o

skull

-al

pertaining to 

faci/o

face

-plasty

surgical repair or reconstruction

mandibul/o 

mandible 

-ar

pertaining to

tempor/o

temporal bone

maxill/o 

maxilla 

-ary

pertaining to

-plasia 

development 

cost/o

rib

sub-

under

stern/o 

sternum 

xiph/o

sword

-oid

resembling

cervic/o

neck 

lumb/o

lower back

-dynia

pain

sacr/o 

sacrum 

-eal

pertaining to

coccyg/o

tailbone

spondyl/o 

vertebra 

-pathy

disease

thorac/o

chest

vertebr/o 

vertebra 

inter-

between

clavicul/o

clavicle

infra- 

below 

scapul/o

scapula

brachi/o

arm

carp/o 

waist 

olecran/o

elbow

phalang/o

phalanx

radi/o

radius

uln/o

ulnar

acetabul/o 

hip socket 

illi/o

hip

pelv/i; pelv/o

pelvis

calcane/o 

heel 

femor/o

fermur

fibul/o

fibula

patell/a; patell/o 

kneecap 

-pexy

surgical fixation

tibi/o

tibia

arthr/o

joint

articul/o

joint

-algia

pain

femor/o 

femur 

fibul/o

fibula

tibi/o

tibia

-scopy 

process of visual examination 

burs/o

bursa

-ectomy

surgical removal

-blast 

immature 

-centesis

surgical puncture to remove fluid apiration

-clasis

surgical fracture or refracture

-clast 

breakdown 

-desis

surgical fusion

-genesis

formation

-malacia 

softening 

-osis

abnormal condition

kyph/o

humpback

lord/o 

swayback 

scoli/o

curved

-physis

to grow

dia- 

through 

epi-

on; upon

-porosis

porous

-sarcoma 

malignant tumor of connective tissue 

ortho-

straight

-ic

pertaining to

ped/o 

child 

flex/o

bend

pronati/o

facing backward

supinat/o 

facing forward 

tens/o

stretch

dorsi-

back

duct/o 

to draw 

-or

person or thing that does something

ab-

away from

ad- 

toward 

electr/o

electric

-graphy

process of recording

my/o 

muscle 

fasci/o

fascia

-rrhaphy

suture

kinesi/o 

movement 

-meter

instrument movement