Unit 5 Skeleton & Joints: Glossary & Pronunciation
Word Pronunciation Definition & Construction
Acetabulum > as-eh-tab-U-lum > The socket built by the three bones of the pelvis for the femoral head. Saucer in Latin.
Achondroplasia > ah-kon-drow-play-zee-ah > Abnormality in conversion of cartilage to bones particularly in the limbs.
A/chondr/o/plasia
Amphiarthrosis > am-fee-are-throw-sis > Slightly mobile joints in two directions (planes). Amphi/arthr/o/ses
Axial > ak-see-al > The core, center skeleton on which the appendicular skeleton hangs.
Bursa, bursae > burr-sa, burr-see > Tough connective tissue sac filled with gel-like center cushions bone to bone actions.
Calcitonin > kal-see-toe-nin > Secreted by PTH, it stimulates the osteoblasts to increase bone building, lowering blood calcium levels.
Callus > kal-us > In response to injury or constant pressure the skin or bone will form tissue to protect the area and/or heal a fracture.
Chiropractor > ki-roe-prak-tor > Chir/o > hand, this practitioner works with their hands to manipulate bone and muscles.
Chir/o/pract/er
Chondrodysplasia > kon-drow-dis-play-zee-ah > Abnormal growth or development of the cartilage. Chondr/o/dys/plasia Chondromalacia > kon-drow-ma-lay-shah > Cartilage softening. Chondr/o/malacia
Chondropathy > kon-drop-ah-thee > Disease of the cartilage. Chondr/o/pathy
Circumduction > sir-kom-duk-shun > The ability to turn the joint in a circle.
Compact bone > com-pakt > The tough, outer shell of the bone
Contracture > kon-trak-shur > Scar tissue or tight fascia locks tissue in place stopping complete motion.
Costochondritis > kos-toe-kon-dry-tis > Inflammation of the rib cartilage, anterior chest. Cost/o/chondr/itis
Coxal > koks-al > Pertaining to the pelvis: fusion of the ilium, ischium, & pubis.
Crepitus > krep-ee-tus > Palpation technique of placing a hand over the joint during motion and feeling the crackling of an inflamed joint.
Diaphysis > die-af-ee-sis > The shaft of the long and short bones. Dia > through or between.
Diarthrosis > die-are-throw-sis > Freely mobile joint or articulation. Synonym: Synovial joint.
Durables > dur-ah-bals > Refers to medical items that may be used again such as wheel chairs, crutches, blood pressure cuffs found in
HCPCS Epicondylitis > ep-ee-kon-dee-lie-tis > Inflammation of the condyles of the joint epiphysis such as the elbow or ankle. Epi/condyl/itis
Epiphysis > eh-pif-ee-sis > The distal/proximal ends of long bones provide attachment for ligaments and tendons.
Erythropoietin > eh-rith-row-poe-eh-tin > A renal hormone, response to oxygen level; bone responds produces erythrocytes (RBCs).
Estrogen > es-trow-jen > Sexual hormone for women, excreted via the ovary.
Ethmoid > eth-moyd > Complex irregular bone that is the anterior floor of the cranium serving support for the nose, eye, and sinuses.
Eversion > ee-vur-zhun > Roll over action, the great toe is outgoing, moving away from the center.
Frontal > fron-tal > The forehead bone, it covers the frontal area of the brain.
Gomphosis > gom-foe-sis > Specialized socket that the teeth sit in.
Goniometer > go-knee-om-ee-tur > Instrument to measure joint motion exactly in degrees of motion. Goni/o/meter
Growth hormone > A protein hormone from anterior pituitary; body growth, fat mobilization, and inhibition of glucose utilization.
Hyoid > hi-oyd > Small bone in anterior neck, no joint, provides attachments for tongue and voice muscles.
Hyperlordosis > hi-purr-lor-doh-sis > The normal anterior curvature of the lumbar spine. It is exacerbated during pregnancy
Inversion > in-vur-zhun > Roll over action, the great toe is ingoing, moving more inward to the center. Lacrimal > lak-rim-al > Tiny bones of the face (2), behind and lateral to nasal bones, it helps form eye orbit and supports the tear ducts.
Lamella > lah-mel-ah > Thin layer or shell, layers of bone
Mandible > man-dee-bel > Lower jaw bone, only mobile joint in the cranium. It articulates at the TMJ and holds the gomphosis sockets for the lower 16 teeth.
Maxilla > max-il-lah > Upper jaw bones (2), forms part of the floor of the eye orbit, part of the roof of the mouth, the maxilla sinuses, and the gomphosis joints of the upper teeth.
Meniscus, Menisci > me-nis-kus, men-is-keye > The cartilage pad, cup shaped between the femur and tibia.
Middle ear bones > mal-ee-us; in-kus; stay-pees > Malleus (hammer); Incus (anvil); Stapes (stirrup)
Nasal > nay-zal > Nose bones (2), form the upper part of the nose, the end is cartilage.
Non-durables > non-dur-ah-bals > Refers to medical items that are used only once such as needles, syringes, gauge pads, medications etc.
Occipital > ock-sip-ee-tall > The large bone at the base of the skull.
Olecranon > oh-lek-rah-non > The elbow, the olecranon process of the proximal ulna fits in the fossa of the distal humerus. Orthodontist > or-though-don-tist > A dental specialist who straightens the teeth. Orth/o/dont/ist
Orthopedic > or-tho-pee-dik > Concerning being ‘straight’, a practice that takes care of bone and joint disease and injury. Orth/o/ped/ist
Osteoblasts > os-tea-oh-blasts > Cells that produce the bone matrix. Oste/o/blasts
Osteoclasts > os-tea-oh-klasts > Bone carvers, these bone cells are phagocytes to release bone calcium to the blood stream.
Oste/o/clasts
Osteocytes > os-tea-oh-sites > Bone cells that contain nucleus and organelles of the osteon. Oste/o/cytes
Osteodystrophy > os-tea-oh-dis-trow-fee > Defective or abnormal bone formation. Oste/o/dys/trophy
Osteogenic > os-tea-oh-jeh-nik > The origin of bone, producing bone. Oste/o/gen/ic
Osteolysis > os-tea-ol-eye-sis > Destruction of bone. Oste/o/lysis
Osteomyelitis > os-tea-oh-my-eh-lie-tis > An infection of the bone (bone marrow) that leads to tissue death. Oste/o/myel/itis
Osteon > oz-tea-on > The functional unit of the bone. Oste/on
Osteopath (DO) > os-tea-oh-path > Specialist on disease of the bones originally, now they may practice a full-scope of medicine.
Oste/o/path Osteopoikilosis > os-tea-oh-poke-ill-oh-sis > Mottled or varied bone textures. Oste/o/poikil/osis
Osteoporosis > os-tea-oh-pore-oh-sis > Weakening of the bone, -porosis > having pores, pitted, indicates loss of calcium matrix.
Oste/o/por/osis
Osteosclerosis > os-tea-oh-sklar-oh-sis > Abnormal condition of hardening of the bone, too heavy, too hard, too brittle.
Oste/o/scler/osis
Paget’s disease > pah-jets > Disease where both the osteoclasts & osteoblasts are working too hard creating patches of weakened bone.
Palatine > pal-ah-tine > Small bones (2) that forms the hard palate and the floor of the eye orbits.
Parathyroid (PTH) > pair-ah-thigh-royd > Four tiny hormone glands that live behind the thyroid. They control calcium and phosphate levels in the body via bone building and carving. Para/thyr/oid
Parietal > pah-rye-ee-tal > Skull bones (2) cover the top of the brain in connection with occipital and frontal bones with flat sutures or membrane of the wall.
Periosteum > pear-eh-os-tea-um > Around the bone, connective tissue, fascia, & bone tissue, allows nerve, vessel, and lymph access to bone. Peri/oste/um
Phalanges, Phalanx > fay-lan-geez, fay-langks > The finger and toe bones, 14 each. Podiatrist > poe-die-ah-trists > Specialist who diagnose, treat, and perform surgery on the foot exclusively.
Prosthesis > pros-thee-sis > An artificial device or appliance that replaces a missing body part.
Rachiocentesis > rah-key-oh-sen-tea-sis > Lumbar puncture to gather cerebral spinal fluid, CSF. Rachi/o/centesis
Rachischisis > ray-kis-ki-sis > Embryologic failure of fusion of the neural arches (spina bifida). Rachi/shisis
Scoliosis > sko-lee-oh-sis > An abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, S-shaped.
Sphenoid > sfee-noyd > Called the bat-bone because of its configuration, foundation of the cranial floor with the sella turcica.
Spondylolisthesis > spon-di-low-lis-thee-sis > Slipping, falling of the vertebra, on x-ray, the anterior disk area is compressed a bit.
Spondyl/o/listh/esis
Spondylolysis > spon-dee-lol-ee-sis > Degeneration of the vertebra. Spondyl/o/lysis
Subcostal > sub-kos-tal > Pertaining to under the ribs. Sub/cost/al
Subluxation > sub-luks-ay-shun > Slight dislocation of the joint articulation, common at the rib heads.
Synarthrosis > sin-are-throw-sis > Tight joint, immobile such as the skull sutures. Syn/arthr/o/ses Temporal > tem-pore-al > Skull bones (2) cover the sides of the brain, provides support for ear canal, TMJ (jaw), connecting with parietal, occipital, and sphenoid bones.
Tendolysis > ten-dole-i-sis > Release of a tendon. (lysis > destruction). Tendo/o/lysis
Tendonitis > ten-doe-nigh-tis > Inflammation of the tendon. Tendon/itis
Testosterone > tes-tos-teh-rown > Sexual hormone for men, secreted by the testicles. Test/o/sterone
Trabecular > tra-bek-U-lar > The spongy bone of the bone, inner arches, location of red blood marrow.
Turbinate > tur-bi-ate > Thin, scroll bones that form the inferior nasal conchae, just above the roof of the mouth (2).
Vertebra, Vertebrae > vur-teh-brah; vur-teh-breh > The stack of 33 bones is a segmented curved rod with three distinct curves. Cervical
> 7, Thoracic > 12, Lumbar > 5, Sacrum > 5 fused, and Coccyx > 4 fused. Synonym: Rachi/o and Spondyl/o
Vomer > voe-mur > A single, small bone forms the bottom and back of the nasal septum.
Zygomatic > zeye-go-mat-ik > The cheek bones (2), helps form the eye socket (laterally and bottom)