Common Musculoskeletal combining forms and suffix

calc/o

calcium

hyph/o

humpback

lamin/o

lamina (part of vertebral arch)

lord/o

curve, swayback

lumb/o

loins (lower back)

myel/o

bone marrow

orth/o

straight

oste/o

bone

scoli/o

crooked, bent

spondyl/o

vertebra

vertebr/o

vertebra

-blast

embryonic cell

-clast

to break

-listhesis

slipping

-malacia

softening

-physis

to grow

-porosis

pore, passage

-tome

instrument to cut

acetabul/o

acetabulum (hip socket)

calcane/o

calcaneus (heel)

carp/o

carpals (wrist bones)

clavicul/o

clavicle (collar bone)

cost/o

rib

crani/o

cranium (skull)

femur/o

femur (thigh bone)

fibul/o

fibula

humer/o

humerus

ili/o

ilium

ischi/o

ischium

malleol/o

malleolus (process on each side of the ankle)

mandibul/o

mandible

maxill/o

maxilla (upper jaw)

metacarp/o

metacarpals (hand bones)

metatars/o

metatarsals (foot bones)

olecran/o

olecranon (elbow)

patell/o

patella (kneecap)

pelv/o

pelvis

phalang/o

phalanges

pub/o

pubis

radi/o

radius

scapul/o

scapula

stern/o

sternum

tars/o

tarsals (ankle bones)

tibi/o

tibia (shin bone)

uln/o

ulna