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Medical Term	Description
achondroplasia	A disorder that is a form of short-limb dwarfism.
acid etching	Preparation of tooth surfaces with etching agents, such as phosphoric acid, to roughen the surface to increase adhesion.
acromioclavicular joint	The gliding joint formed by the outer extremity of the clavicle and the inner margin of the acromion process of the scapula. This joint has six ligaments.
acromion	The lateral extension of the spine of the scapula and the highest point of the shoulder.
anodontia	Congenital absence of most or all teeth.
anterior cruciate ligament	A strong ligament of the knee that extends from the anterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the posterior part of the medial surface of the lateral condyle of the femur. Responsible for controlling stability during knee rotation.
apophysis	An outgrowth or projection from a bone.
arthrocentesis	Aspiration of fluid (e.g., synovial fluid) from a joint cavity.
arthrography	Imaging of a joint, usually after injection of a contrast medium.
articulation	The junction of two or more bones. Also, forming sounds into meaningful speech.
auranofin	A drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis.
axi/o	axis
axilla	Armpit.
bicuspid	A premolar tooth used for grinding food.
bregma	The juncture of the coronal and sagittal sutures on the top of the cranium.
bruxism	A disorder characterized by grinding and clenching of the teeth.
bunion	An area of thick tissue over the metatarsal phalangeal joint at the base of the great toe.
bursitis	Inflammation of a bursa, the fibrous sac that acts as a cushion between moving structures of bones, muscles, tendons or skin.
calcaneus	The largest of the tarsal bones, situated at the lower and back part of the foot, forming the heel.
capsulitis	Inflammation of the capsule surrounding a joint.
cartilage	A non-vascular form of connective tissue composed of chondrocytes embedded in a matrix. There are three major types: hyaline cartilage; fibrocartilage; and elastic cartilage.
cephalic	Cranial. Relating to the head.
cerclage	Binding together the ends of an oblique bone fracture or the chips of a broken patella.
cervical	Pertaining to the neck.
chondral	Pertaining to cartilage.
chondrocyte	Polymorphic cells that form cartilage.
chondrogenesis	The development of cartilage.
chondrosarcoma	A slowly growing malignant neoplasm of cartilage cells, occurring most frequently in pelvic bones, scapula or in long bones.
clubfoot	A congenital deformed foot in which the patient cannot stand with sole flat on the ground.
collagen	A fibrous protein comprising about one third of the total protein in the body. It is a main constituent of skin, bone, ligaments and cartilage.
cranial	aPertaining to the cranium.
cubital	Pertaining to the elbow or forearm.
dactylitis	Painful inflammation of the fingers or toes.
dentin	The main material of teeth. It is surrounded by pulp, covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root.
dislocation	Displacement of a body part from its normal position. Commonly used to refer to a bone displaced from a joint.
elbow joint	A hinge joint connecting the forearm to the arm.
enarthrosis	A ball and socket joint.
endomorph	A body type that is relatively soft and round.
epineural	On a neural arch of a vertebra.
exoskeleton	The exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals.
exostoses	Abnormal bony outgrowth from the surface of a bone
genu	Knee.
genu varum	An outward slant of the thigh in which the knees are wide apart and the ankles close together.
glenoid cavity	A depression in the lateral angle of the scapula that articulates with the head of the humerus.
globus	A sphere. A spherical structure.
hip	The region of the body around the joint between the top of the femur and side of the pelvis.
humerus	The bone of the upper arm. It extends from the shoulder joint to the elbow joint.
hyperostosis	Abnormal thickening or growth of bone.
ilium	The largest of three bones that make up each half of the pelvic girdle.
ischium	The inferior, dorsal portion of the hip bone.
jaw	Bony structure of the mouth consisting of the mandible and the maxilla.
lacuna	A small cavity or depression.
macrocephaly	Abnormally large head.
malocclusion	Faulty contact between the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed.
malunion	Faulty alignment of broken bone fragments.
mandible	The large, u-shaped bone that supports the lower teeth, forming the lower jaw.
maxillofacial	Pertaining to the jaws and face.
mediastinal	Pertaining to a median septum or space between two parts of the body.
meniscus	Crescent-shaped cartilage inside the knee joint that absorb shock and stabilize the joint.
metatarsal bones	The five long bones of the metatarsus, articulating with the tarsal bones proximally and the phalanges of toes distally.
metatarsalgia	Pain in the region of the metatarsus.
metatarsus	The part of the foot between the tarsus and the toes.
microdontia	Abnormally small teeth.
micrognathism	Abnormally small jaw.
molar	The most posterior teeth on either side of the jaw which are used for grinding.
nasion	A point on the skull where the top of the nose meets the ridge of the forehead.
occipital bone	The curved, shield-shaped bone forming the lower rear part of the skull, enclosing the foramen magnum.
odontogenesis	The process of tooth development.
oligodontia	Absence of some teeth.
opposition	Relation of the position of the thumb to the other fingers.
orthotic devices	A device used to support, align, or correct deformities of movable parts of the body.
osseous	Composed of or resembling bone.
osteoblastoma	A benign, painful, vascular tumor of bone marked by the formation of osteoid tissue, primitive bone and calcified tissue.
osteochondritis	Inflammation of a bone and its overlaying cartilage.
osteochondrosis	Any of a group of disorders of the growth ossification centers in children
osteocytes	Mature osteoblasts that have become embedded in the bone matrix.
osteogenesis	The process of bone formation.
osteology	The science that studies the structure and function of bones.
osteolysis	Dissolution of bone.
osteoma	A benign, slow growing tumor composed of bone tissue.
osteophyte	Bony projection usually found around joints and often seen in arthritis.
palate	The structure that forms the roof of the mouth. It consists of the anterior hard palate and the posterior soft palate.
paratenon	The fatty or synovial tissue between a tendon and its sheath.
parietal bone	One of a pair of irregularly shaped quadrilateral bones situated between the frontal bone and occipital bone, which together form the sides of the cranium.
periarthritis	Inflammation of the tissues around a joint capsule.
periosteum	Thick, fibrous membrane covering the surface of a bone except its articular cartilage and areas where it attaches to tendons and ligaments.
periostitis	Inflammation of the periosteum.
phalangitis	Inflammation of a finger or toe.
plagiocephaly	The condition characterized an irregular shape of the head often in parallelogram shape with a flat spot on the back or one side of the head.
platybasia	A malformation of the cranium so that the floor of the posterior cranial fossa bulges upward in the region about the foramen magnum.
polyarthritis	Simultaneous inflammation of several joints.
polychondritis	Inflammation of cartilage.
polydactyly	A congenital anomaly of the hand or foot, characterized by supernumerary digits.
popliteal	Pertaining to the area behind the knee.
precordium	The region of the thorax immediately over the heart.
pseudarthrosis	A new, false, fibrous joint arising at the site of an ununited fracture.
psoriatic arthritis	Arthritis associated with psoriasis, affecting joints and the spine.
pubic symphysis	A slightly movable cartilaginous joint which occurs between the pubic bones.
pyarthrosis	Acute inflammation of synovial membranes.
rheumatic diseases	Disorders of connective tissue, especially the joints and related structures, characterized by inflammation, degeneration, or metabolic derangement.
ribs	The flat, curved bones that form a protective cage for the chest organs, consisting of twelve curved bones which connect to the vertebral column posteriorly and terminate anteriorly as costal cartilage.
sacroiliitis	Inflammation of the sacroiliac joint, marked by lower back pain, fever, uveitis, psoriasis and decreased range of motion.
scaphoid bone	The bone which is located most lateral in the proximal row of carpal bones.
scapula	The flat triangular bone in the back of the shoulder. Also called the shoulder blade.
sesamoid	Denoting a small nodular bone embedded in a tendon or joint capsule and that slides over another bony surface. The patella is a sesamoid bone.
shoulder dislocation	Displacement of the humerus from the scapula.
skull	The skeleton of the head including the facial bones and the bones enclosing the brain.
sling	A bandage that supports an injured limb.
spondylitis	Inflammation of the synovial joints of the backbone.
spondylolisthesis	Forward displacement of a superior vertebral body over the vertebral body below.
spondylosis	A degenerative spinal disease that can involve any part of the vertebra, the intervertebral disk, and the surrounding soft tissue.
sternoclavicular joint	A double gliding joint formed by the clavicle, superior and lateral parts of the manubrium sternum at the clavicular notch and the cartilage of the first rib.
subtalar joint	Formed by the articulation of the talus with the calcaneus.
talus	The second largest of the tarsal bones, articulating with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint.
tarsal bones	The seven bones which form the tarsus: calcaneus, talus, cuboid, navicular, and the internal, middle, and external cuneiforms.
tarsal joints	The articulations between the various tarsal bones.
tarsalgia	Pain in the foot.
tarsus	The bones of the ankle and proximal part of the foot.
taxis	Returning a body part back to its normal position after a dislocation, fracture or hernia.
temporal bone	Either of a pair of compound bones forming the lateral surfaces and base of the skull which contains the organs of hearing.
tendon	A strap of white fibrous connective tissue that joins muscle to bone.
tenodesis	Fixation of the end of a tendon to a bone, often by suturing.
tenoplasty	Surgical repair of a tendon.
tenosynovitis	Inflammation of the synovial lining of a tendon sheath.
tenotomy	Surgical division of a tendon for relief of a congenital deformity of a joint.
toothache	Pain in or around a tooth.
ulna	The inner and longer bone of the forearm.
ulnar	Pertaining to the ulna, the long medial bone of the forearm.
zygoma	Either of a pair of bones that form the prominent part of the CHEEK and contribute to the ORBIT on each side of the SKULL.

Authors and Reviewers

Authored by Dr. Barbara A. Erickson
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022