Language of Medicine Chapter 15

abduction

Movement away from the midline of the body.

acetabulum

Rounded depression or socket in the pelvis, which joins the femur forming the hip joint.

achondroplasia

Inherited disorder in which the bones of the arms and legs fail to grow to normal size; achondroplastic dwarfism.

acromion

Outward extension of the shoulder blade forming the point of the shoulder.

adduction

Movement toward the midline of the body.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Damage to nerves on the lateral (side) columns of the spinal cord and lower region of the brain, leading to progressive muscular paralysis.

ankylosing spondylitis

Chronic inflammatory joint disease involving the backbones; marked by stiffness and eventual fusion (ankylosis) of involved joints.

ankylosis

Immobility (fusion) of a joint due to disease, injury, or surgical procedure.

antinuclear antibody test

Detects an antibody present in serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

arthrocentesis

Surgical puncture to remove fluid from a joint.

athrodesis

Surgical fusion of a joint to eliminate movement.

arthrography

X-ray imaging of a joint after injection of contrast material.

arthroplasty

Surgical repair of a joint (with prostheses); total hip replacement and total knee replacement are examples.

arthroscopy

Visual examination of the inside of joint with an endoscope.

arthrotomy

Incision of a joint.

articular cartilage

Cartilage surrounding bones in a joint.

articulation

A connection between bones; joint.

atrophy

Decrease in size of normally developed organ or tissue of the body; wasting away.

bone

Complete organs composed chiefly of connective tissue called osseous (bony) tissue, plus a rich supply of blood vessels and nerves.

bone density test

Low energy x-rays are taken of bones in the spinal column, pelvis, and wrist to determine bone density; also called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA).

bone depressions

Openings or hollow regions serving as connections between bones, or passageways for blood vessels and nerves.

bone processes

Enlarged areas that extend out from bones to serve as attachments for muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

bone scan

Uptake of a radioactive substance is measured in bone.

bunion

Abnormal swelling of the joint between the big toe and a bone of the foot.

bursa

Sac of fluid between tendons and bones near a joint.

bursitis

Inflammation of a bursa surrounding a joint.

calcaneal

Pertaining to the calcaneus (heel bone).

calcaneus

Heel bone.

calcium

One of the mineral constituents of bone.

cancellous bone

Spongy, porous bone tissue in the inner part of a bone.

carpal tunnel syndrome

Compression (by a wrist ligament) of the median nerve as it passes between the ligament and bones and tendons of the wrist.

carpals

Bones of the wrist.

cartilage

Flexible, connective tissue that is firmer than muscle, yet softer than bone.

cervical vertebrae

Seven backbones in the neck.

chondrocostal

Pertaining to cartilage that is attached to the ribs.

chondroma

Benign tumor of cartilage.

chondromalacia

Softening of cartilage.

clavicle

Collar bone.

coccyx

Tailbone.

collagen

Protein found in skin and connective tissues.

compact bone

Hard, dense bone tissue.

cranial bones

Bones of the skull; ethmoid, frontal, occipital, parietal, sphenoid, and temporal bones.

craniotome

Instrument to cut the skull (cranium).

craniotomy

Incision of the skull.

crepitus

Crackling sound produced when ends of bone rub against each other or against roughened cartilage

diaphysis

Shaft or mid-portion of a long bone.

diskography

X-ray images of cervical or lumbar intervertebral disks after injection of contrast material into the interior of the disk.

dislocation

Displacement of a bone from its joint.

dorsiflexion

Backward (upward) bending of the foot.

electromyography

Process of recording the strength of muscle contraction as a result of electrical stimulation.

epiphyseal plate

Layer of cartilage at the ends of long bones where lengthwise bone growth takes place.

epiphysis

Each end of a long bone.

erythrocyte sedimentation

Measures the rate at which erythrocytes settle to the bottom of a test tube.

ethmoid bone

Thin, delicate bone that supports the nasal cavity and forms part of the orbits of the eye.

Ewing sarcoma

Malignant bone tumor occurring in children.

exostosis

Bony growth arising from the surface of a bone.

extension

Lengthening or straightening a flexed limb.

facial bones

Bones of the face; lacrimal, mandibular, maxillary, nasal, vomer, and zygomatic bones.

fascia

Fibrous membrane separating and enveloping muscle.

fasciectomy

Removal of fascia.

femoral

Pertaining to the femur.

femur

Thigh bone.

fibromyalgia

Chronic pain and stiffness in muscles and fibrous tissue, especially in the shoulders, neck, hips, and knees.

fibula

Smaller of the two lower leg bones.

fibular

Pertaining to the fibula.

flexion

Decreasing the angle between two bones, as in bending a limb.

fontanelle

Soft spot between skull bones of an infant.

foramen magnum

Opening or passage in bones where blood vessels and nerves enter and leave.

frontal bone

Skull bone that forms the forehead and bony sockets that contain the eyes.

ganglion

Collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system; plural is ganglia.

gouty arthritis

Inflammation of joints caused by excessive uric acid in the blood and uric acid crystals deposited in joints.

haversian canals

Minute spaces for blood vessels in compact bone

hemarthrosis

Condition of blood in a joint.

humeral

Pertaining to the humerus (upper arm bone).

humerus

Upper arm bone.

hydrathrosis

Condition of water or fluid in a joint.

hypercalcemia

High levels of calcium in the blood.

hypertrophy

Increase in size of tissue or an organ due to increase in size of individual cells.

hyperuricemia

Increase in uric acid in the blood.

ilac

Pertaining to the ilium, which is the right or left upper most portion of the hipbone.

ilium

Upper and largest portion of the pelvic (hip) bone.

impacted fracture

Broken bone in which one fragment is driven firmly into the other fragment.

ischial

Pertaining to the ischium (posterior portion of the hip bone).

ischium

Posterior (back) portion of the pelvic (hip) bone.

kyphosis

Abnormal condition of outward curvature (convexity) of the thoracic spine.

lacrimal bones

Two small facial bones that contain tear glands and canals for the passage of tear ducts.

lamina

One of two posterior (back) arches of a vertebra.

laminectomy

Surgical removal of the posterior portion of a vertebra to relieve pressure on a spinal nerve or spinal cord from a displaced intervertebral disk.

leiomyoma

Benign tumor of smooth, involuntary muscle.

leiomyosarcoma

Malignant tumor of smooth muscle.

ligament

Connective tissue binding bones to other bones.

ligamentous

Pertaining to a ligament.

lordosis

Forward curvature of the lumbar spinal column. In its extreme form it is known as ''swayback.''

lumbar vertebrae

Backbones (5) in the region of the waist (middle section below the chest).

lumbosacral

Pertaining to the lumbar and sacral regions of the back.

lyme disease

Chronic, recurrent disorder marked by severe arthritis, myalgias, neurologic and cardiac symptoms. It is caused by a deer tick and was first reported in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

malleolar

Pertaining to a malleolus.

malleolus

Either of two bony enlargements (processes) on each side of an ankle.

mandible

Lower jaw bone.

mandibular

Pertaining to the lower jaw bone.