Medical Terminology: Skeletal System and Joint Conditions

Vocabulary flashcards covering medical prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, anatomical structures, and skeletal pathologies.

Arthr/o

Joint; relating to a joint.

Chondr/i, Chondr/o

Cartilage.

Crani/o

Skull or cranium.

Kyph/o

Humpback; bent or curved spine.

-lysis

Separation, destruction, loosening, or breakdown.

Myel/o

Spinal cord or bone marrow.

Oste/o, Oss/e, Oss/i, Ost/o

Bone.

Arthroscopy

Procedure using a small camera to look inside a joint.

Comminuted fracture

A fracture where a bone breaks into three or more pieces.

Compression fracture

A fracture caused by pressure that makes a bone collapse.

Gout

Arthritis caused by uric acid crystals building up in a joint.

Kyphosis

An abnormal outward curve of the upper spine.

Malleolus

A rounded bony projection at the ankle.

Metacarpals

The five bones of the hand between the wrist and fingers.

Metatarsals

The five bones of the foot between the ankle and toes.

Myeloma

A cancer of plasma cells, usually occurring in bone marrow.

Open fracture

A broken bone that creates an open wound through the skin.

Osteoarthritis

Breakdown of joint cartilage and tissues causing pain and stiffness.

Osteopenia

Lower-than-normal bone density, less severe than osteoporosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis

An autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and pain.