Key Terms and Definitions

Key Terms

Active Range of Motion

  • Definition: The range of motion achieved when the patient uses their own muscles to move a joint (\text{p. 560}).

Aerobic Exercise

  • Definition: Physical activity that increases heart and breathing rate to improve cardiovascular health (\text{p. 564}).

Anaerobic Exercise

  • Definition: High-intensity activity that does not require oxygen to produce energy (\text{p. 564}).

Atrophy

  • Definition: The wasting away or decrease in size of a body tissue or organ, often due to lack of use (\text{p. 558}).

Contracture

  • Definition: The permanent shortening of a muscle or joint, often due to spasm or paralysis (\text{p. 558}).

Dangling

  • Definition: Sitting on the edge of the bed with legs hanging down (\text{p. 560}).

Disuse Osteoporosis

  • Definition: Bone loss that occurs due to lack of weight-bearing activity or muscle contraction (\text{p. 558}).

Equilibrium

  • Definition: A state of balance (\text{p. 557}).

Flaccidity

  • Definition: Decreased muscle tone; also termed hypotonicity (\text{p. 557}).

Footdrop

  • Definition: A condition in which the foot is permanently plantar flexed (\text{p. 558}).

Friction

  • Definition: The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another (\text{p. 578}).

Gait

  • Definition: A person's manner of walking (\text{p. 560}).

Hemiparesis

  • Definition: Weakness on one side of the body (\text{p. 557}).

Hemiplegia

  • Definition: Paralysis of one side of the body (\text{p. 557}).

Hypertonicity

  • Definition: Increased muscle tone (\text{p. 557}).

Hypotonicity

  • Definition: Decreased muscle tone; also termed flaccidity (\text{p. 557}).

Ischemia

  • Definition: An inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body (\text{p. 557}).

Isometric Exercise

  • Definition: Exercise in which muscle tension increases but there is minimal or no actual muscle shortening and no joint movement (\text{p. 564}).

Isotonic Exercise

  • Definition: Exercise in which muscles shorten and move joints (\text{p. 564}).

Logrolling

  • Definition: A technique used to turn a patient in bed while keeping the spine in straight alignment (\text{p. 565}).

Necrosis

  • Definition: The death of most or all of the cells in tissue or organ due to disease, injury, or failure of the blood supply (\text{p. 561}).

Paraplegia

  • Definition: Paralysis of the legs and lower body (\text{p. 557}).

Passive Range of Motion

  • Definition: Movement of a joint through its range of motion by an external force (e.g., therapist or machine) without any active muscle contraction by the patient (\text{p. 560}).

Pathologic Bone Fractures

  • Definition: Fractures resulting from weakened bone tissue due to a disease, such as osteoporosis or cancer (\text{p. 558}).

Pressure Injuries

  • Definition: Localized damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear (\text{p. 561}).

Proprioception

  • Definition: The sense of body position and movement (\text{p. 557}).

Quadriplegia

  • Definition: Paralysis of all four limbs; also known as tetraplegia (\text{p. 557}).

Range of Motion (ROM)

  • Definition: The extent of movement of a joint, measured in degrees of a circle (\text{p. 560}).

Spasticity

  • Definition: Increased muscle tone or stiffness, leading to uncontrolled, awkward movements (\text{p. 557}).

Trapeze

  • Definition: A triangular device suspended above a patient's bed, used to help the patient move and lift themselves in bed (\text{p. 568}).