Foundation year SKELETAL SYSTEM MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY T. SANAA ABD ELHAMED

After study this chapter, you should be able to: 1.Describe the structure of long bone. 2.Label a diagram of skeleton. 3.Compare the axial and the appendicular skeleton. 4.Identify and use roots pertaining to the skeleton. 5.Describe the main disorders that affect the skeleton and joints. 6.Interpret abbreviations used in relation to the skeleton. 7.Analyze case studies pertaining to bones and joints.

The Skeletal System Structure

Medical Terms Related To The Skeletal System 1. Vertebra (n) means one of the 33 round bones which link together to form the backbone. The combining form is vertebr/o and spondyl/o. The plural is vertebrae.

2. Cartilage (n) means a gristle, thick connective tissues which lines the joints and acts as a cushion and which forms part of the structure of an organ. The combining form chondr/o means cartilage. 3. Chondrectomy (n) surgical removal of a cartilage.

4. Femur (n) means the upper leg bone. The combining form is femor/o. Femural – adj. 5. Humerus (n) is a bone of the upper arm. The combining form is humer/o. the plural is humeri. 6. Iliac (n) means pertaining to the Ilium or hip. The combining form is ili/o.

7. Patella (n) the bony portion of the kneecap. The combining form is patell/o. So, Patellectomy means surgical removal of the patella. Patellar – adj. 8. Carpal (n) means pertaining to the wrist. The combining form is carp/o.

9. Spondylosis (n) means stiffness in the spine and degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. 10. Scoliosis (n) means abnormal curvature of the spine.

11. Diskectomy (n) surgical removal of intervertebral disk. 12. Malacia (n) abnormal softening of a part, organ or tissue such as bone. The combining form malac/o means abnormal softness. 13. Fracture (n) means a break in a bone. Can also be a verb.

14. Myelopathy (n) any disease of the spinal cord or the bone marrow. The combining form myel/o means spinal cord or bone marrow. The suffix – pathy means disease. 15. Osteitis (n) inflammation of the bone. The combining form is oste/o which means bone.

16. Osteoporosis (n) a condition where the bone become thin, porous and brittle. This occur because of various causes including lack of calcium and lack of physical exercise. The suffix – porosis means thin and brittle.

17. Rickets (n) disease of childhood in which the bones do not grow properly or harden due to a deficiency of vitamin D. 18. Arthritis (n) inflammation of the joints. The combining form arthr/o means joint.

19. Arthralgia (n) pain in the joint. 20. Arthrocentesis (n) means a surgical puncture of the joint space to remove synovial fluid for analysis.

21. Arthroscopy (n) examining the inside of a joint by using a arthroscope. 22. Arthrodesis (n) a surgical fusion of a joint. The suffix – desis means to bind or tie together.

23. Orthopaedics (n) branch of surgery which deals with abnormalities, diseases and injuries of the bones and the joints of skeleton. The prefix ortho- means straight. And the combining form paed/o means child. 24. Ankylosis means a fusion of the bones of a joint. The combining form ankyl/o means denoting fusion or adhesion.