Medical Glossary

A
Abduction Moving in a direction outwards from the midline of the body
Acupuncture A means of pain relief by the insertion of needles.
Acute A condition which starts and ends quickly. A long- lasting condition is termed chronic.
Adduction Moving in a direction inwards towards the midline of the body.
Arthrodesis The fusion of bones in a joint so that movement is impossible which sometimes relives pain.
Arthroplasty An operation to replace a joint.
Arthroscopy An examination of the inside of a joint by the insertion of a endoscope.
Aspiration Sucking out fluid, for example with a syringe.
Asymptomatic Free of symptoms
B
Bilateral A pair (e.g. bilateral black eyes)
Bursa Natural hollows in fibrous tissues lined by smooth cells and containing fluid. Situated at points where there is a pressure or friction. They try to allow fee movement without straining tissue.
Bursitis Inflammation of bursa ( e.g. housemaid’s knee)
C
Calcification Prolonged inflammation or injury can result in the deposit of the calcium salts in body tissues.
Capsulitis Inflammation around the joint.
Carpal Of the wrist
CAT Computerised Axial Tomography (a CAT scan). A system of internal x-ray scanning.
Caudal Of the tail ie. The coccyx area at the base of the spine.
Cervical Of the neck
Cervical Spondylosis A certain degeneration of bones – the neck
Chronic Lasting for a long time or permanent.
Colles’ Fracture Fracture across the lower end of the radius (in the wrist)
Comminuted Bone fractured in several pieces
Complicated Fracture A fracture associated with damage to other organs such as muscles, nerves or arteries.
Compound Fracture A fracture associated with a break in the skin so that the fracture has been exposed to potentially infectious outside atmosphere.
Condyle Rounded bulge at the end of some bones.
Contusion A bruise
D
Debriding The removal of alien matter in a wound thereby cleaning the wound to facilitate healing.
Dorsal Of the bone.
Dorsal Spine Part of the spine where the ribs joint.
Dorsiflexion Backward movement of joints.
Dorsum Back or outer surface.
E
Endoscopy Visual examination of the inside of the body by endoscope.
Enuresis Bedwetting.
Epicondyle Protuberance above a condyle at the end at a bone, which articulates with another bone.
Extension Straightening of a joint.
F
Facet The surface on a bone which is small and flat.
Fibrosis Thickening of tissue.
Flexion Bending of a joint.
Flexor A muscle which causes a limb or other part to bend.
Fracture Break. A bone fracture may be ‘greenstick’ where the bone of a child bends and breaks on one side only rather than fully. ‘simple’ where the soft tissues are not broken, ‘comminuted’ where bone is broken into several fragments, ‘complicated’ where there is also injury to nearby structures or ‘compound’ where the skin is broken over the fracture and there may be infection. The nature of the break may be transverse, oblique or spiral and a fracture dislocation is a fracture across a joint which affects the joint surfaces.
Fusion The joining together of normally two bones.
G
Golfer’s elbow Inflammation of the medial epicondyle of the tendon at the elbow. 'Tennis elbow' is inflammation of the lateral epicondyle.
H
Haematoma Collection of blood forming swelling.
Haemorrhage Abnormal bleeding from a vein or artery. Severe haemorrhage may be fatal; less sever may cause surgical shock.
I
Illness Behaviour The development of symptoms resulting from unconscious exaggeration by the patient. This is thought by most doctors to be far more common than deliberate malingering; also known as functional overlay. Psychosomatic pain or compensation neurosis. The last is used for a condition that is expected to resolve after the conclusion of a claim.
Inflammation A response to injury denoted by the suffix ‘itis’. The cardinal sign are redness, heat, swelling and pain.
K
Kirschner wire A wire or rod passed through bone and used to apply traction.
Kuntscher nail A strong steel nail that is inserted into the hollow canal of the femur or tibia to maintain position after fracture.
Kyphosis Hump in the vertebrae. In mild form can cause neck to lean forward 9the hunch –back condition)
L
Laceration A wound made by tearing and is irregular unlike a surgical incision.
Laminectomy Operation to the backbone to reach the spinal cord.
Ligament Short, flexible fibrous tissue binding together bones of the body.
Lordosis Forward curvature of the lumber spine (see kyphosis)
Lumbar Of the loin
M
Malingering The deliberate pretending of symptoms or exaggerating them for advantage.
Malunion The failure of bones properly align after fracture resulting in deformity.
Manipulation The procedure whereby a joint is moved to reduce or eliminate stiffness.
Mensicus Semi – lunar cartilage as in wrist or knee joints.
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging. A detailed form of imaging without using radiation which can detect detailed soft tissue changes.
N
Neuralgia Pain felt in sensory nerve which can be as a result of injury to the nerve.
O
Osteoarthritis Disease involving joint cartilage.
Osteoporosis Loss of bony tissue causing bones to become brittle and liable to fracture.
P
Paraesthesia Pins and needles
Patella Knee cap
Physiotherapy Treatment to restore full movement of a limb including massage, infrared /ultra-violet rays, manipulations, exercise etc.
Posterior Of the back of the body or a part of the body.
Prolapse Slipping down or displacement of organ or structure.
Prosthesis Any artificial replacement body part such as a false leg.
Psychiatry The medicine of mental illness and emotional and behavioural problems.
Psychology The study of behaviour and mental processes
PTSD Post – traumatic stress disorder. A recognised anxiety disorder that can be caused by a reaction to a
R
Referred pain Pain that is felt in a part of the body away from its cause.
Rotator Cuff The capsule and tendons around and supporting the shoulder.
RSI Repetitive Strain Injury. A name often given to any disorder caused by sustained repetition of awkward activity, as with musicians and keyboard operators.
S
Scaphoid bone A small bone in the wrist which is easily fractured and shows particular difficulty with healing after fracture.
Sciatica Pain felt down the back and outer side of the thigh, leg and foot.
Soft Tissue Injury Damage to skin, muscle, tendon or ligament but no bone.
Somatoform Disorder A range of psychiatric conditions where the complaint of symptoms cannot be attributed to a physical cause.
Spondylitis When synovial joints of back bone are inflamed.
Spondylosis Arthritis of the spine.
Sprain Stretching or tearing of ligament.
Strain Stretching or tearing of a muscle.
Subluxation Partial or incomplete dislocation or strain of a joint.
Synovial Effusion Extra fluid generated between ligament and muscle due to injury to lining of ligament.
Synovitis Inflammation of membrane lining joint.
T
Tendinitis Inflammation of the tendon.
Tennis Elbow Inflammation of the elbow at the attachment of the tendon.
Tenosynovitis Inflammation of a tendon sheath producing pain, swelling and an audible creaking on movement. (also periotendinitis)
Thorax Of the chest
Traction Drawing or pulling of limb as part of treatment
Trauma Fracture or blow. An overwhelmingly stressful event.
U
Ulcer Breach on surface of skin or membrane which does not tend to heal quickly.
Ulna The inner bone of the forearm
Ulna Nerve One of the primary nerves in the arm.
W
Whiplash Injury An extension – flexion soft tissue injury of the neck of a kind frequently caused by a rear end collision road traffic accident.