Medical Terminology Musculoskeletal System

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering bones, muscles, joints, movements, anatomical terms, imaging, conditions, procedures, and common abbreviations from the notes.

ankyl/o

crooked or stiff

arthr/o

joint

orthopedics

the specialty involved with the study and treatment of the musculoskeletal system

orthopaedic

British form of orthopedics; often used in names like the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

articul/o

joint

brachi/o

arm

cervic/o

neck

chondr/o

cartilage (gristle)

cost/o

rib

crani/o

skull

dactyl/o

digit (finger or toe)

fasci/o

fascia (a band)

femor/o

femur

fibr/o

fiber

kyph/o

humped-back

lei/o

smooth

lord/o

bent

lumb/o

loin (lower back)

muscul/o

muscle

my/o

muscle

myel/o

bone marrow or spinal cord

myos/o

muscle

oste/o

bone

patell/o

kneecap

pelv/i

pelvis (basin) or hip bone

radi/o

radius

rhabd/o

rod-shaped or striated (skeletal)

sarc/o

flesh

scoli/o

twisted

spondyl/o

vertebra

stern/o

sternum (breastbone)

ten/o

tendon

tend/o

tendon

tendin/o

tendon

thorac/o

chest

ton/o

tone or tension

uln/o

ulna

vertebr/o

vertebra

appendicular skeleton

bones of the shoulder girdle, pelvis, and limbs (arms and legs)

axial skeleton

bones of the skull, vertebral column, chest, and hyoid bone

bone

specialized connective tissue composed of osteocytes; forms the skeleton

compact bone

tightly solid bone tissue that forms the exterior of bones

spongy bone

mesh-like bone tissue found in the interior of bones, and surrounding the medullary cavity; also called cancellous bone

cancellous bone

mesh-like bone tissue found in the interior of bones, and surrounding the medullary cavity; also called spongy bone

endosteum

membrane lining the medullary cavity of a bone

periosteum

a fibrous, vascular membrane that covers the bone

articular cartilage

a gristle-like substance on bones where they articulate (join)

articulation

the point where two bones come together; also called joint

intervertebral disk

disk between vertebrae with annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus; reduces friction

annulus fibrosus

ring of fibrocartilage and fibrous tissue around the nucleus pulposus

nucleus pulposus

the soft central portion of the intervertebral disk

ligament

a flexible band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone

joint capsule

sac enclosing the articulating ends of bones forming a synovial joint

synovial membrane

membrane lining the capsule of a joint

synovial fluid

joint-lubricating fluid secreted by the synovial membrane

muscle

tissue composed of fibers that can contract, causing movement

striated muscle

voluntary muscle attached to the skeleton; also called skeletal muscle

skeletal muscle

voluntary muscle attached to the skeleton; also called striated muscle

smooth muscle

involuntary muscle found in internal organs

cardiac muscle

muscle of the heart

origin

the end attached to the bone that does not move when the muscle contracts

insertion

the end attached to the bone that moves when the muscle contracts

tendon

a band of fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone

fascia

a band or sheet of fibrous connective tissue that covers, supports, and separates muscle

anatomic position

standing upright, facing forward, feet forward, arms at sides with palms forward

anatomical position

see anatomic position; same as above

body planes

reference planes for indicating location or direction of body parts

frontal plane

vertical division of the body into front and back portions; also called coronal plane

coronal plane

vertical division of the body into front and back portions; also called frontal plane

sagittal plane

vertical division of the body into right and left portions

transverse plane

horizontal division of the body into upper and lower portions; also called horizontal plane

anterior

toward the front of the body; also called ventral

ventral

front of the body; also called anterior

posterior

toward the back of the body; also called dorsal

dorsal

back of the body; also called posterior

superior

situated above another structure; toward the head; cephalic

cephalic

situated above another structure; toward the head; also called superior

inferior

situated below another structure; away from the head; caudal

caudal

toward the tail; inferior

proximal

toward the beginning or origin of a structure

distal

away from the beginning or origin of a structure

medial

toward the midline of the body

lateral

toward the side of the body

axis

the imaginary line that runs through the center of the body or a body part

anterior–posterior (AP)

from front to back; direction of an X-ray beam

posterior–anterior (PA)

from back to front; direction of an X-ray beam

goniometer

instrument used to measure joint angles

arthralgia

joint pain

atrophy

shrinking of muscle size

crepitation/crepitus

grating sound sometimes made by movement of a joint or bones

exostosis

a projection arising from a bone that develops from cartilage

flaccid

flabby, relaxed; defective or absent muscle tone

hypertrophy

increase in size of tissue (e.g., muscle)

hypotonia

reduced muscle tone or tension

myalgia

muscle pain; also called myodynia

ostealgia

bone pain; also called osteodynia

osteodynia

bone pain; also called ostealgia

rigidity

stiffness; stiff muscle; also called rigor

spasm

involuntary contraction of a muscle

spastic

uncontrolled contractions of skeletal muscles; stiff movements