Key Terms and Pathologies in Orthopedics

Hypercalcemia

Increased calcium in the blood

Kyphosis

Abnormal condition of a humpback

Laminectomy

Removal of lamina of the vertebral arch

Lordosis

Abnormal condition of a swayback

Lumbar

Pertaining to the lower back

Osteitis

Inflammation of the bone

Scoliosis

Abnormal condition of lateral curvature of the spine

Vertebroplasty

Repair of compression fractures of the vertebrae

Osteoblast

Cell synthesizes collagen to form bone tissue

Osteoclast

Cells that break down bone to remove bone tissue

Osteomalacia

Softening of the bone

Actetabular

Pertaining to the hip joint

Carpal

Pertaining to the wrist bones

Femoral

Pertaining to the femur

Ewing Sarcoma

Rare malignant tumor arising in bone

Fracture

Traumatic breaking of a bone

Simple (closed) fracture

Bone breaks but does not pierce skin

Compound (open) fracture

Bone breaks and pierces skin

Closed reduction

Treatment to set bone without surgery

Open reduction

Treatment to set bone with surgery

Osteosarcoma

Malignant tumor of the bone

Osteomyelitis

Inflammation of bone and bone marrow

Osteoporosis

Decrease in bone density

Ankylosis

Stiffening of a joint

Arthroplasty

Surgical repair of the joint

Bursitis

Inflammation of the bursa

Achondroplasia

Without cartilage formation

Chondromalacia

Cartilage in the joints softens and breaks down

Synovitis

Inflammation of the synovial membrane

Tenorrhaphy

Surgical suturing of the tendon

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Chronic, progressive arthritis with stiffening of joints

Gouty arthritis

Inflammation due to excessive uric acid

Osteoarthritis

Chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints

Rheumatoid arthritis

Autoimmune inflammation of joints

Bunion

Enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Compression of median nerve in the wrist

Dislocation

Displacement of a bone from its joint

Ganglion Cyst

Fluid-filled sac on a joint or tendon

Lyme disease

Bacterial infection spread by ticks

Fasciotomy

Incision of fascia

Fibromyalgia

Chronic pain and stiffness in muscles, joints and fibrous tissue

Leiomyoma

Benign smooth muscle tumor

Myalgia

Muscle pain

Myocardial

Pertaining to the heart muscle

Atrophy

Decrease in the size of an organ or tissue

Hypertrophy

Increase in the size of an organ or tissue

Muscular Dystrophy

Group of hereditary diseases involving muscle degeneration

Polymyositis

Chronic inflammatory muscle disease

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

Measures inflammation in the body

Rheumatoid Factor Test (RF)

Detects rheumatoid arthritis

Uric Acid Test

Measures uric acid levels in the blood

Arthrocentesis

Surgical puncture to remove fluid from the joint

Arthrography

X-ray imaging of a joint

Arthroplasty

Surgical repair or replacement of a joint

Arthroscopy

Visual examination of a joint using a scope

Bone Density Test

Measures bone mineral content

Bone Scan

Nuclear imaging test to detect bone disorders

Muscle Biopsy

Removal of muscle tissue for examination

ACL

Anterior cruciate ligament of the knee

BKA

Below-knee amputation

CTS

Carpal tunnel syndrome

DTRs

Deep tendon reflexes

ESR (sed rate)

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

IM

Intramuscular

OA

Osteoarthritis

ORIF

Open reduction (of fracture)/internal fixation

RA

Rheumatoid arthritis

SLE

Systemic lupus erythematosus

ortho

Orthopedics (or orthopaedics)