MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY: Chapter 8

Orthopedics and Muscular System

skeletal muscles

voluntary muscles that allow for body movements

cardiac muscles

make up the heart and is under involuntary control

smooth muscles

involuntary muscles that form a continuous, thin layer around many organs and structures

origin of a muscle

the site where a tendon attaches to a stationary or near-stationary bone

insertion of a muscle

the site where a tendon attaches to the bone that moves when the muscle contracts

belly of a muscle

the part of the muscle with the greatest mass

muscle fiber

one long cell with hundred of nuclei along its length

myofibrils

compose muscle fibers and contain thin actin strands and thick myosin strands

atrophy

loss of bulk in one or more muscles

a-

away from; without

troph/o

development

avulsion

condition in which a muscle tears away from a tendon or a tendon tears away from a bone

vuls/o

tear

\-ion

condition

compartment syndrome

condition in which severe injury causes bleeding and the fascia acts as a compartment, holding in accumulated blood and placing pressure on surrounding tissues

contracture

condition in which a muscle becomes progressively more flexed and eventually “sticks” in a nearly immovable position

fibromyalgia

condition associated with pain at specific trigger points in the muscles of the neck, hips, and back

fibr/o

fiber

my/o

muscle

alg/o

pain

hypertension-hyperflexion injury

injury that occurs when a person’s head snaps backward and then forward in response to a sudden change in speed; whiplash

muscle contusion

bleeding inside a muscle due to blunt trauma; also called a bruise

contus/o

bruise

muscle spasm

painful but temporary condition in which a muscle suddenly, severely, and involuntarily contracts; muscle cramp

torticollis

muscle cramp in the neck

tort/i

twisted position

\-collis

condition of the neck

muscle strain

overstretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon; pulled muscle

muscular dystrophy (MD)

group of muscle diseased caused a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin

dystrophin

without it muscles progressively weaken and atrophy

Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy

most common form of dystrophy

dys-

abnormal

\-trophy

process of development

mylagia

pain in a muscle due to injury or muscle disease

polymyalgia

pain in several muscle groups

myopathy

general category that includes many different muscle diseases

\-pathy

disease

myasthenia gravis

autoimmune disorder in which the body produces antibodies against acetylcholine receptors on the muscle fibers; destruction of receptors causes abnormal, rapid muscle fatigue that worsens during the day

blepharoptosis

droopy eyelid; common sign of myasthenia gravis

myositis

inflammation of a muscle with localized swelling or tenderness; caused by injury, strain, or diease

polymyositis

involves widespread inflammation with weakness and fatigue

repetitive strain injury

injury to muscles. tendons, and/or nerves resulting from repetitive movements over an extended period of time; also called cumulative trauma disorder

rhabdomyoma

a benign tumor of the muscle. this tumor contains immature rod-shaped cells in the muscle

rhabd/o

rod shaped

rhabdomyosarcoma

cancerous tumor of the muscle; usually found in children and young adults

rotator cuff muscle

a tear in the rotator muscles of the shoulder that surround the humerus; usually occurs from trauma or repetitive overuse

antagonistism

one muscle contracts and second muscle either relaxes to allow movement or partially contracts to control the movement

synergism

one muscle contracts and other nearby muscles also contract to produce the same but greater combined movement

flexion

opposite of extension; bending a joint to decrease the angle between two bones or body parts

extension

opposite of flexion; involves straightening or extending a joint to increase the angle between two bones or body parts

abduction

opposite of adduction; moving a body part away from the midline of the body

adduction

opposite of abduction; moving a body part towards the midline of the body

ab-

moving away from

ad-

putting parts together

supination

opposite of pronation; turning the palm of the hand upward, such that the hand is “lying on its back”

pronation

opposite of supination; turning the palm of the hand downward

eversion

opposite of inversion; turning a body part outward and to the side

inversion

opposite of eversion; turning a body part inward

rotation

moving a body part around it axis

ataxia

incoordination of the muscles during movement, especially when walking

bradykinesia

abnormally slow muscle movements or a decrease in the number of spontaneous movements; usually associated with Parkinson disease

dyskinesia

abnormal motions that occur because of difficulty controlling the voluntary muscles; may include tics, spasms, jerking, or slow writhing of the handsh

hyperkinesis

an abnormally increased amount of muscle movements

restless leg syndrome

uncomfortable restlessness and twitching of the leg muscles along with tingling; aching; or crawling-insect sensations; usually occurs at night

tremor

small, involuntary, back and forth movements of the hands, head, jaw, or extremities that are continuous and cannot be controlled

tendon

white fibrous band of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone

fascia

thin layer of connective tissue that wraps each muscle and merges into its tendon

bursitis

inflammation of the bursal sac due to repetitive muscle contractions or pressure on the bone underneath the bursa

dupuytren contracture

progressive disease in which thickening and shortening of the fascia in the palm causes a contracture and flexion deformity of the finger

epicondylitis

inflammation of muscles and tendons that originate on the bone protrusion on either side of the distal humerusla

lateral epicondylitis

tennis elbow; pain outside of the elbow

medial epicondylitis

golfer’s or pitcher’s elbow; pain on the inside of the elbow

fasciitis

inflammation of the fascia around the muscle

plantar fasciitis

inflammation of the fascia at the bottom of the foot

ganglion

semisolid or fluid-containing cyst that grows on a tendon; appears as a rounded lump that may or may not be painful

shin splits

pain and inflammation of the tendons and flexor muscles over the shin bone due to overuse

tendinitis

inflammation of any tendon due to injury or overuse

acetylcholine receptor antibody test

tests that detects antibodies that the body produces against its own acetylcholine receptors; used to diagnose myasthenia gravis

electrompyography

procedure in which a needle electrode is inserted into a muscle to record the electrical activity of the muscle as it contracts and relaxes; used to diagnose muscle or nerve disease

brace

orthopedic devise that supports and straightens a body part while still permitting movement; also called orthosisa

adaptive or assistive device

device that increase mobility and independence by helping the patient perform activities of daily living

deep tendon reflexes

procedure that tests whether the muscular-nervous pathway is functioning normally; knee jerk or patellar reflex test

muscle strength test

procedure in which the physician presses against some part of a patient’s body and asks the patient to move that part; muscle strength is rated on a scale of 0 to 5

rehabilitation (rehab) exercises

exercises included in a physical therapy rehabilitation plan to help increase muscle strength and improve coordination and balance

RICE treatment for minor injuries

standard advice for treating muscle sprains and soft tissue injuries to prevent further injury and swelling (rest, ice, compression, elevate)

trigger point injections

procedure to treat fibromyalgia in which a local anesthetic and corticosteroid are injected into a patient’s trigger point to decrease pain and inflammation

analgesics

treat muscle pain; may be over-the-counter or prescription, depending on pain length and severity

beta-blockers

help relieve tremors by blocking the action epinephrine

corticosteriods

decrease severe inflammation; given orally or injected into the muscle or fascia

dopamine stimulants

treat restless legs syndrome by stimulating dopamine receptors

drugs for fibromyalgia

include medication relieve pain, relax muscles, and affects calcium channels in skeletal muscle

drugs for myasthenia gravis

work by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine; this allows the acetylcholine to continue stimulating remaining muscle receptors

muscle relaxants

relieve muscle spasm and stiffness; used to treat muscle injuries and neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

decrease mild-to-moderate inflammation and pain; used to treat minor injuries, muscle strains, tendinitis, bursitis, and muscle overuse

fasciectomy

procedure to partially or totally remove the fascia; used to treat Dupuyten contracture

fasciotomy

procedure to cut the fascia and release pressure from built-up blood and tissue in a patient with compartment syndrome

ganglionectiomy

procedure to remove a ganglion from a tendon

muscle biopsy

procedure to diagnose potential causes of muscle weakness; involved removing a small amount of muscle tissue via incision or needle aspiration and sending it for microscopic analysis

myorrhaphy

procedure to suture together a torn muscle after injuryt

tenorrhaphy

procedure to suture together a torn tendon after an injury