Medical Glossary
ABAXIAL. Lying away from the axis of the body
ABDUCTION. The withdrawal of a part from the axis of the body
ADDUCTION. The act of drawing toward the axis of the body
ALLOGRAFT. Bone transferred between genetically dissimilar members of the same species
ANKYLOSIS. Abnormal immobility and consolidation of a joint
ANTEVERSION. Turning cranial or inclining cranial, usually referring to a femoral head and neck angulation
ANTIPHLOGISTIC. Preventing or relieving inflammation
APLASIA. Incomplete or defective development of tissue
APOPHYSIS. A bony process or outgrowth that has not had an independent center of ossification
ARTHROCENTESIS. Incision into a joint; puncture with a needle
ARTHRODESIS. The surgical fixation of a joint by fusion of the joint surfaces
ARTHROPLASTY. Plastic surgery of a joint or of joints; formation of movable joints
ARTHROSIS. Degenerative disease of a joint
ARTHROTOMY. Surgical incision of a joint
ARTICULATION. A joint; the place of union or junction between two or more bones
ATAXIA. Failure of muscular coordination; irregularity of muscular action
ATROPHY. A wasting away or diminution in the size of a cell, tissue, organ, or part
AUTOGRAFT. Bone transferred from one site to another in the same animal
AVULSION. A tearing away
AXIAL. Relating to the central part of the body
CALLUS. The bony material that bridges fractured bone fragments
CANNULATE. To place a tube into a structure
CAPSULORRHAPHY. Suture of a tear or laceration in a joint capsule; usually referring to prevention of joint dislocation
CAPSULOTOMY. Incision through a capsule; joint capsule
CERCLAGE. An encircling device
CHEMOEMBOLIZATION. A technique for delivering a quantity of an anticancer drug directly into a cancer via its feeding blood vessels
CHONDROPLASTY. Reparative or plastic surgery of cartilage
CIRCUMDUCTION. The active or passive circular movement of a limb
CLONUS. Spasm in which rigidity and relaxation alternate in rapid succession
CLOSED FRACTURE. Loss of continuity of a bone without contact of the bone with the outside environment
COAPTATION. A joining or fitting together of two surfaces; fitting of fracture ends
COMMINUTION. Breaking into a number of small fragments
CONGENITAL. Existing at or before birth
COXA. Referring to the hip or hip joint
CREPITUS. Bony crepitus, the crackling sound produced by the rubbing together of fragments of fractured bone; joint crepitus, the grating sensation caused by the rubbing together of the dry synovial surfaces of joints
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DIAPHYSIS. The shaft of a long bone
DIPLEGIA. Paralysis affecting like parts on both sides of the body
DISLOCATION. The displacement of any part, more especially of a bone
DORSIFLEXION. Flexion or bending upward of the paw or toes
DRAWER. Abnormal cranial or caudal movement at the knee
DYSPLASIA. Abnormality of development
ELECTROLYSIS. Decomposition of body tissues (bone) by means of electricity
ENDOSTEUM. Internal periosteum; the membrane lining the medullary cavity
EPIPHYSEOLYSIS. Separation of an epiphysis from its bone
EPIPHYSIODESIS. Premature union of an epiphysis with the diaphysis
EPIPHYSIS. A piece of bone separated from a long bone in early life by cartilage, but later becoming a part of the larger bone; the end of a long bone
EVERSION. A turning outward or inside out
EXTENSION. A movement that brings the members of the limb toward 180°
EXTERNAL ROTATION. EversionFATIGUE. Material failure caused by cyclic motion
FENESTRATION. To make openings or windows into an anatomical structure
FIBRILLATION. A fibrillar, striated pattern seen on cartilage undergoing early degenerative change
FLACCID. Weak, lax, soft
FLEXION. The act of bending from a large angle to a lesser angle
FRACTURE. The breaking of a part, especially of a bone; loss of continuity of bone
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IMBRICATE. Operative overlapping of layers of tissue; a tightening procedure
IMPLANT. To insert or graft
INTERNAL ROTATION. Inversion
INVERSION. A turning inward, inside out, upside down, or other reversal of the normal relation of a part
INVOLUCRUM. A covering or sheath, such as contains the sequestrum of a necrosed bone; localized overgrowth or hypertrophy of bone in response to infection
ISCHEMIA. Local and temporary deficiency of blood, due chiefly to the contraction of a blood vessel
ISOGRAFT. Bone transferred between animals who are identical in histocompatibility antigens (litter mates)
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KYPHOSIS. Humpback; abnormal curvature and dorsal prominence of the vertebral column
LORDOSIS. Curvature of the spinal column with a ventral convexity
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MALUNION. Union of the fragments of a fractured bone in faulty position
MENISCECTOMY. Excision of a meniscus from a joint
METAPHYSIS. The flared area of junction of the epiphysis with the diaphysis of a long bone
METAPLASIA. The change in the type of adult cells in a tissue to a form that is abnormal for that tissue
METASTASIS. The shifting or spreading of a disease to other parts of the body
MONOARTICULAR. Pertaining to a single joint
MONOPLEGIA. Paralysis of a single part
MYELOSCLEROSIS. Increased density of cancellous bone while cortical bone remains normal
NONUNION. Failure of the ends of a fractured bone to unite; false union; pseudarthrosis
NORMOGRADE. Pin placement that begins at a bone end and exits the fracture site
OBLIQUE. Slanting away from horizontal or perpendicular
OPEN FRACTURE. Loss of continuity of bone with exposure to the outside environment ("compound" fracture)
OSTECTOMY. The excision of a bone or a portion of bone
OSTEOARTHRITIS. Inflammation of the articular components of a bone
OSTEOCLASIS. The surgical or manual fracture or refracture of bones
OSTEOLYSIS. A localized area of osteoporosis
OSTEOMA. A tumor composed of bone tissue and usually developing on a bone
OSTEOMALACIA. Faulty mineralization of available osteoid, which may be soft or bend
OSTEOPETROSIS. Increased bone density resulting from prenatal fetal bone that has not converted to cancellous bone
OSTEOPOROSIS. Bone tissue that is normally mineralized but contains too little mass
OSTEOSCLEROSIS. Abnormal hardening or increased density of bone (eburnation)
OSTEOTOME. A knife, used for cutting bone, in which both sides of the cutting edge are beveled
OSTEOTOMY. The surgical cutting of a bone
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PALMAR. Referring to the walking surface of the forepaw; volar
PALSY. Paralysis
PARALYSIS. Loss of voluntary movement in a muscle or muscle group; loss of function (paresis)
PARAPATELLAR. Alongside or near the patella
PARAPLEGIA. Paralysis of the hindlegs and caudal part of the body, both motion and sensation being affected
PERINEURIUM. The sheath surrounding a bundle of nerve fibers in a peripheral nerve
PERIOSTEUM. The tough fibrous membrane surrounding a bone
PES. Referring to the foot or paw
PIEZOELECTRIC. Electric current generated by pressure upon certain bony crystals
PLANTAR. Referring to the walking surface of the hindpaw; volar
POLYARTICULAR. Pertaining to two or more joints
POLYDACTYLISM. The occurrence of more than the usual number of toes
PRONATION. The act of turning the forepaw outward from the body
PROSTHESIS. An artificial replacement for body parts that may be missing or defective
PSEUDARTHROSIS. A false joint, as that sometimes seen following a fracture or in failure of an arthrodesis or fusion
QUADRIPLEGIA. Paralysis of all four limbs
REAM. To widen an opening; to open the medullary canal
RECURVATUM. A backward bending; a curvature backward
REDUCTION. The correction of a fracture or luxation
RESECTION. Excision of a considerable portion of an organ; especially excision of the ends of bones and other structures forming a joint
RETROGRADE. Pin placement that begins at the fracture site and exits a bone end
ROTATION. The process of turning around an axis
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SAUCERIZATION. Excision of tissue (bone) to form a shallow depression
SCOLIOSIS. Abnormal curvature of the vertebral column, a lateral curvature
SEOUESTRUM. A piece of dead bone that has become separated from the sound bone during the process of necrosis
SEROMA. Soft swelling, filled with serum
SHEAR. The distortion of a body by two oppositely directed parallel forces
SPASTIC. Of the nature of or characterized by spasms or spasticity
SPICA. A figure-of-eight bandage
SPONDYLITIS. Inflammation of one or more vertebrae
SPONDYLOLISTHESIS. Ventral subluxation of one vertebral body referable to the next vertebral body
SPONDYLOLYSIS. A dissolution of the body of a vertebra
STRAIN. The change in shape that a body undergoes when acted upon by an external force
STRESS. The resisting force occurring in a body as a result of an externally applied force
SUBLUXATION. An incomplete or partial dislocation
SUPINATION. A turning of the forepaw inward toward the body
SYNCHONDROSIS. The union of bones by means of fibrous or elastic cartilage
SYNDACTYLISM. The condition in which two or more toes are more or less completely grown together or adherent
SYNDESMOSIS. Artificial ankylosis by fibrous connection
SYNOSTOSIS. The union of adjacent bones by means of osseous union of bones that are normally separate
SYNOVECTOMY. Excision of a part or all of the synovial membranes
SYNOVIAL FLUID. A viscid fluid containing synovin, or mucin, and a small proportion of mineral salts. It is transparent and alkaline and resembles the white of an egg. Secreted by the synovial membrane, it is contained in joint cavities, bursae, and tendon sheaths
TENODESIS. Tendon fixation; suturing of the end of a tendon to bone
TENOLYSIS. Separation of a tendon from its tendon sheath
TENORRHAPHY. The union of a divided tendon by a suture
TENOTOMY. Surgical division of a tendon to correct deformity
TRANSPLANT. To transfer tissue from one part to another
TREPHINE. A cylindrical saw
VALGUS. Bent outward; away from the midline of the body distal to joint described
VARUS. Bent inward; toward the midline of the body distal to joint described
VOLAR. Referring to the walking surface of the paw
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XENOGRAFT. Bone transferred between members of different species