Orthopedics and Rheumatology Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering major topics in orthopedics and rheumatology, including spinal disorders, osteoarthritis types, diagnostic tests, and metabolic bone diseases.

Klippel-Feil Syndrome

A congenital malformation involving the fusion of two or more cervical vertebrae, typically characterized by a short neck, low posterior hairline, and restricted neck mobility.

Meyerding Classification

A scale used to evaluate the degree of slippage in spondylolisthesis, divided into stages based on the percentage of one vertebral body's displacement over the one below it.

Morbus Scheuermann (Adolescent Kyphosis)

A growth disorder of the spine where the vertebrae grow unevenly with respect to the sagittal plane, leading to wedge-shaped vertebral bodies and an increased thoracic kyphosis.

Schmorl's Nodes

Typical radiographic sign of Morbus Scheuermann involving the herniation of the nucleus pulposus through the vertebral body endplate into the adjacent vertebra.

Adam's Forward Bend Test (Vorbeugetest)

A diagnostic screen for scoliosis where the patient bends forward at the waist; it reveals a rib hump or lumbar bulge if structural scoliosis is present.

Scoliosis

A complex three-dimensional deformity of the spine involving lateral curvature, vertebral rotation, and often a flattening of the physiological kyphosis or lordosis.

Cobb Angle

The standard measurement used to determine the degree of spinal curvature in scoliosis, calculated by drawing lines from the top of the upper end-vertebra and the bottom of the lower end-vertebra.

Osteoarthritis (Arthrose)

A degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive destruction of articular cartilage, changes in the subchondral bone, and the formation of osteophytes.

TEP (Total Endoprosthesis)

A surgical procedure involving the total replacement of a joint with an artificial implant, commonly used in advanced hip (Coxarthrose) or knee (Gonarthrose) osteoarthritis.

Arthrodesis

A surgical procedure used to artificially induce joint ossification (joint fusion) to stabilize the joint and relieve pain.

Spondylarthrosis

Osteoarthritis specifically affecting the facet joints (zygapophysial joints) of the vertebral column, most frequently occurring in the lumbar spine.

Disc Protrusion

A condition where the intervertebral disc bulges outward but the outer ring (annulus fibrosus) remains intact.

Disc Prolapse (Herniation)

A condition where the outer ring (annulus fibrosus) of the intervertebral disc ruptures, allowing the soft inner core (nucleus pulposus) to escape into the spinal canal.

Sequestrated Disc Prolapse

A severe form of disc herniation where a fragment of the nucleus pulposus breaks off and is completely separated from the main disc body.

Rhizarthrosis

Osteoarthritis of the first carpometacarpal (thumb saddle) joint, formed by the os trapezium and the first metacarpal bone.

Grind Test

A clinical diagnostic test for Rhizarthrosis where axial pressure and rotation are applied to the thumb; it is positive if it provokes pain or crepitus.

Heberden Nodes

Bony outgrowths (osteophytes) occurring at the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints of the fingers, characteristic of finger polyarthritis.

Bouchard Nodes

Bony outgrowths (osteophytes) occurring at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of the fingers.

Ganglion

A benign, fluid-filled sac (cyst) that typically arises from joint capsules or tendon sheaths, most commonly found on the dorsal side of the wrist.

Dupuytren's Contracture

A condition in which the palmar fascia thickens and shortens, eventually leading to a permanent flexion deformity of the fingers (most commonly the ring and small fingers).

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A compression neuropathy of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist, leading to pain, numbness, and paresthesia in the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Kellgren-Lawrence Score

A radiological classification system used to grade the severity of osteoarthritis (specifically Coxarthrose) on a scale from 0 to 4 based on X-ray findings.

Epiphyseolysis capitis femoris

A condition where the femoral head (epiphysis) slips off the neck of the femur at the growth plate, typically occurring during adolescence.

Morbus Perthes

A childhood condition characterized by temporary loss of blood supply to the femoral head (aseptic necrosis), leading to bone death and potential collapse of the hip joint.

Viererzeichen (Figure-of-four / Patrick's Test)

An examination method for hip mobility where the leg is flexed, abducted, and externally rotated to form a "4" shape; restricted or painful in Morbus Perthes.

Morbus Osgood-Schlatter

Aseptical necrosis affecting the tibial tuberosity at the insertion of the patellar tendon.

Genu Valgum

A knee deformity commonly known as "knock-knees," where the knees angle inward and touch while the ankles remain apart.

Genu Varum

A knee deformity commonly known as "bow-leggedness," where the knees remain wide apart when the ankles are together.

Mikulicz Line

The mechanical axis of the lower limb, connecting the center of the femoral head to the center of the ankle joint; it passes through the center of the knee in normal alignment.

Patella Partita

A congenital condition where the patella (kneecap) develops from two or more separate bone centers that fail to fuse, often mistaken for a fracture.

Hallux Valgus

A deformity of the joint connecting the big toe to the foot, where the big toe deviates laterally toward the other toes, often resulting in a bunion.

Haglund's Exostose

A bony enlargement on the posterior side of the calcaneus (heel bone) where the Achilles tendon attaches.

Subacromial Impingement

A syndrome where the tendons of the rotator cuff are pinched or compressed during shoulder movements, particularly within the subacromial space.

Painful Arc

A clinical sign of shoulder impingement characterized by pain specifically between $60^\circ$ and $120^\circ$ of active abduction.

Osteoporosis

A systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to increased bone fragility and fracture risk.

Osteodensitometry

A diagnostic procedure used to measure bone mineral density (BMD), typically using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), to diagnose osteoporosis.

Rickets (Rachitis)

A disease of the growing skeleton caused by a deficiency in Vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate, leading to softening and weakening of the bones.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

A chronic, inflammatory, systemic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the synovial membrane of the joints, leading to joint destruction and deformity.

Morbus Bechterew (Ankylosing Spondylitis)

A chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease primarily affecting the axial skeleton (spine and sacroiliac joints), which can lead to eventual fusion of the vertebrae.

Syndesmophytes

Bony growths originating inside a ligament, commonly seen in the spine of patients with Morbus Bechterew, as a result of inflammation and ossification.

Mennell-Test

A physical exam maneuver used to assess the sacroiliac joint for signs of inflammation, frequently used in the diagnosis of Morbus Bechterew.

Gout (Gicht)

A form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints, often triggered by diet or alcohol and typically affecting the big toe (Podagra).

Collagenoses (Kollagenosen)

A group of autoimmune diseases that cause chronic inflammation of the connective tissue and various organ systems.