Orthopedic Vocabulary Flashcards
bone graft
Surgical procedure that uses piece of bone to replace lost bone or to fuse two bones together
bone scan
Nuclear medicine scan using radioactive dye to visualize bones; useful for finding stress fractures and bone cancer
carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
Repetitive motion disorder caused by pressure on tendons and nerves as they pass through carpal tunnel of wrist
closed fracture
Broken bone with no open skin wound; also called simple fracture
compound fracture
Broken bone with open skin wound; also called open fracture
contracture
Abnormal shortening of muscle fibers, tendons, or connective tissue making it difficult to stretch muscle
dislocation
Occurs when bones in joint are displaced from normal alignment and ends of bones are no longer in contact with each other
fibromyalgia
Chronic condition with widespread aching and pain in the muscles and fibrous soft tissue
fixation
Procedure to stabilize fractured bone while it heals;
fracture
Broken bone
greenstick fracture
Fracture with incomplete break; one side of the bone breaks and other side only bends; commonly seen in children because their bones are still pliable
herniated nucleus pulposus
Protrusion of intervertebral disk between two vertebrae, which puts pressure on spinal nerves;
kyphosis
Abnormal increase in normal outward curvature of thoracic spine; also called hunchback or humpback
lordosis
Abnormal increase in normal forward curvature of lumbar spine; also called swayback
muscle atrophy
Loss of muscle bulk due to muscle disease, nervous system disease, or lack of use;
muscular dystrophy
One of a group of inherited diseases involving progressive muscle degeneration, weakness, and atrophy
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Large group of drugs that provide mild pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits for conditions such as arthritis
orthosis
Externally applied brace or splint used to prevent or correct deformities;
osteoarthritis
Arthritis caused by loss of cartilage cushion covering bones in joint
osteogenic sarcoma
Most common type of bone cancer; usually begins in osteocytes found at ends of bones;
prosthesis
Any artificial device used as substitute for body part that is either missing from birth or lost as the result of an accident or disease;
radiography
Diagnostic imaging procedure using x-rays to see internal structure of body;
scoliosis
Abnormal lateral curvature of spine
spasm
Sudden, involuntary, strong muscle contraction
spina bifida
Birth defect that occurs when vertebra fails to fully form around spinal cord;
spiral fracture
Bone break in which fracture line spirals around shaft of the bone
sprain
Ligament injury from over-stretching, but without joint dislocation or bone fracture
strain
Damage to the muscle or tendons from overuse or over-stretching
stress facture
A slight bone break caused by repetitive low-impact forces, such as running, rather than a single forceful impact
total hip arthroplasty
Surgical reconstruction of hip with artificial hip joint
total knee arthroplasty
Surgical reconstruction of knee joint with artificial knee joint
repetitive motion disorder
Group of chronic disorders with tendon, muscle, joint, and nerve damage caused by prolonged periods of pressure, vibration, or repetitive movements.
rheumatoid arthritis
Arthritis with swelling, stiffness, pain, and degeneration of cartilage in joints caused by chronic soft tissue inflammation
