Signinchoice
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Start Flashcard Study Return to Medical Terminology homepage| Medical Term | Description |
| -rrhexis | rupture |
| abduction | Movement of a limb away from the midline or axis of the body. |
| achilles tendon | The tendon connecting the muscles in the back of the calf to the calcaneus (heel bone). |
| adduction | Movement of a limb toward the midline or axis of the body |
| adhesion | Bands of scar tissue that can develop after surgery. |
| aerobics | Sustained strenuous exercise that improves cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. |
| anxiety disorders | A group of mental disorders characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear. |
| ataxia | Inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements, not due to muscle weakness. |
| atonic | Without normal muscle tone or strength |
| atrophy | Diminished size or wasting away of body tissue, for example muscles. |
| biceps | A muscle having two heads. Commonly used to refer to the muscles that extend from the shoulder joint to the elbow. |
| bradykinesia | Abnormally slow body movement. |
| buttocks | Either of two fleshy protuberances at the lower posterior section of the trunk or hip consisting of gluteal muscles and fat. |
| carpal tunnel syndrome | A common source of hand numbness and pain. Can be associated with repetitive occupational trauma, wrist injuries, rheumatoid arthritis, and pregnancy. |
| chronic fatigue syndrome | A debilitating disorder characterized by extreme fatigue or tiredness that doesn't go away with rest. |
| circumduction | A conical movement of a limb extending from the joint. |
| contracture | A condition that occurs when normally elastic tissues are replaced by inelastic fiber-like tissue. |
| cool down | Gradually decreasing heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and body temperature after exercise. |
| dorsiflexion | The movement of the ankle joint that brings the dorsal (top region) of the foot towards the shin. |
| dystrophy | Any abnormal condition caused by defective nutrition |
| electromyography | A test of the health of the muscles and the nerves that control the muscles. |
| ergonomics | Design work that reduces stress and eliminates injuries associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture and repeated tasks. |
| fasci/o | fascia (layer of fibrous tissue) |
| fasciitis | Inflammation of the fascia, which is the connective tissue surrounding muscles, blood vessels and nerves. |
| fibr/o | fiber |
| fibromyalgia | A common, chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, diffuse tenderness, chronic fatigue, and other symptoms. |
| heel spur | A bony outgrowth on the lower surface of the heel bone. |
| hemiparesis | Weakness or paralysis of the entire left or right side of the body. Caused by congenital conditions, trauma, stroke or tumors. |
| hemiplegia | Paralysis of one side of the body. |
| herni/o | hernia |
| hernia | Abnormal protrusion of tissue, structure, or part of an organ through the bone, muscular tissue, or the membrane by which it is normally contained. |
| hyperkinesia | Spontaneous involuntary movements. |
| hypotonia | Poor muscle tone usually detected at birth or during infancy. It is reflected in the APGAR score. |
| impingement syndrome | The result of chronic and repetitive compression of the rotator-cuff tendons in the shoulder. |
| intermittent claudication | Muscle pain caused by too little blood flow, usually during exercise. |
| kinesi/o | movement |
| leiomy/o | smooth (visceral) muscle |
| muscul/o | muscle |
| muscular dystrophies | A heterogeneous group of inherited myopathies, characterized by wasting and weakness of the skeletal muscle. |
| muscular dystrophy | A group of over thirty genetic diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. |
| my/o | muscle |
| myalgia | Muscle pain. |
| myasthenia gravis | A chronic autoimmune disease characterized by weakness of the skeletal muscles. |
| myocele | Protrusion of muscle substance through a hole in its sheath |
| myoclonus | Sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle. |
| myolysis | Breakdown of muscle tissue. |
| myoparesis | Slight muscle paralysis. |
| neuromuscular | Disorders that affect the nerves that control voluntary muscles. |
| nocturnal myoclonus | A sleep disorder where the patient moves involuntarily during sleep. Also called periodic limb movement disorder. |
| oblique | A slanting direction. |
| paralysis | Loss of muscle function. |
| paraplegia | Paralysis affecting the legs. |
| pectoral | Relating to the thorax. |
| plantar fasciitis | Irritation of the connective tissue that runs from the heel to the base of the toes. Also known as :postman's heel". |
| pronation | The inward roll of the foot (medial malleolus) while walking or running. |
| quadriceps muscle | The quadriceps femoris. A collective name of the four-headed skeletal muscle of the thigh. |
| quadriplegia | Paralysis that results in the partial or total loss of use of all four limbs and torso. |
| rotator cuff | The musculotendinous sheath formed by the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor muscles. These help stabilize the head of the humerus in the glenoid fossa and allow for rotation of the shoulder joint about its longitudinal axis. |
| shin splint | Inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around the tibia. |
| shivering | Involuntary contraction or twitching of the muscles due to cold or fear. |
| singultus | Hiccups. |
| spasm | An involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles. |
| sphincter | A ring-link muscle that constrictions a natural body passage or orifice and which relaxes as needed. Present in the rectum and urinary tract. |
| sprain | An injury caused by tearing of the fibers of a ligament. |
| sthen/o | strength |
| strain | Overstretching or overexertion of a part of the musculature. |
| syndesm/o | ligament |
| tax/o | order, coordination |
| tendin/o | tendon |
| tendinous | Relating to tendons. |
| tensor | Any muscle that causes stretching or tension of a body part. |
| ton/o | tension, tone |
| tri- | three |
| triceps | Muscle with three heads, particularly the muscle on the back of the upper arm that contracts to extend the forearm. |
Authors and Reviewers
Authored by Dr. Barbara A. EricksonMedically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022
