Republic of the Philippines

Cagayan State University

Andrews Campus, Tuguegarao City, 3500 Cagayan
(078) 844-7631; http://www.csu.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Medical Terminology

Medical Term Meaning

Orthopedic Pertaining to the medical specialty
related to the musculoskeletal system
Osteitis Refers to inflammation of the bone
Myalgia Muscle pain
Myositis Inflammation of muscle
Cervical vertebrae Neck bones
Spondylitis Inflammation of the vertebrae
Scoliosis Refers to a condition of having a
twisted spine.
Lordosis A spine that is bent forward
Kyphosis The condition of a humped back is
Lumbodynia Refers to pain, in the lower back.
Sternum Breastbone
Pelviscope An instrument used to examine the
interior of the pelvis
Pelvimetry A measurement of the diameters of
the pelvis
Patella Kneecap
Radioulnar Referring to both the radius and the
ulna
Dactylalgia Pain of the fingers or toes
Arthritis Inflammation of a joint.
Ankylosis Stiffened joint
Chondroma A tumor that arises from cartilage
Leiomyoma A tumor of smooth muscle.
Rhabdomyoma A tumor of striated (skeletal) muscle
Myotonia Refers to a condition of muscle tone
Tendinitis Is inflammation of a tendon
Sarcoma A fleshy tumor
Compact bone The tightly solid bone tissue that
forms the exterior of bones.
Cancellous bone A bone that is the spongy, mesh-like
bone tissue found in the interior of
bones, and surrounding the
medullary cavity
Short bones Bones that are found in the wrists and
ankles.
Flat bones Bones that are found in the ribs,
shoulder blades, and pelvis are

Irregular bones Bones of the vertebrae and face

Round bones Sesamoid bones (e.g., the patella) near
joints
Epiphysis The wide end of a long bone
Dia physis The long bone shaft.
Metaphysis The growth zone between the
epiphysis and the diaphysis.
Endosteum A bone membrane lining the
medullary cavity within a bone

BY: Rizalyn Joy I. Besa, LPT

 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus, Tuguegarao City, 3500 Cagayan
(078) 844-7631; http://www.csu.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Medical Terminology

Periosteum The membrane that covers a bone

Articular cartilage The kind of cartilage that is found
where bones articulate
Fascia The band or sheet of fibrous tissue
that covers muscles s
Joint or articulation The point where two muscles come
together
Ligament A fibrous band that connects bone to
bone
Bursitis An inflammation of this bursa
Disks, discs The flat, plate-like structures between
the vertebrae
Nucleus pulposus A soft fibrocartilaginous tissue in the
center of intervertebral disks
Anterior or ventral Front of the body
Posterior or dorsal Back of the body
Anterior-posterior Front to back
Posterior-anterior From back to front
Superior Above
Inferior Below
Proximal closest to its origin or attachment.
Distal Away from its origin or attachment
Medial Toward the middle or midline
Lateral Toward the side
Axis An imaginary line that runs through
the center of the body or a body part
Prone It means, lying face down and flat
Supine It means lying face up, flat on the
back
Abduction Movement away from the body
Adduction Movement toward the body
Rotation A circular movement around an axis
Inversion The term for inward rotation
Eversion The term for outward rotation
Supination Turning the palm upward
Pronation Turning the palm forward
Dorsiflexion The foot and toes bend upward
Plantar flexion The foot and toes bend downward
Range of motion The total amount of motion in a joint
Goniometer The instrument used to measure a
joint angle
Crepitation or crepitus Broken bones rubbing together may
produce a grating sound
Exostosis A term for a cartilage projection
growing outside a bone
Arthralgia Joint pain
Hypertrophy Refers to increased muscle size.
Atrophy Shrinking muscle size
Hypotonia A condition of reduced muscle tension
or tone

BY: Rizalyn Joy I. Besa, LPT

 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus, Tuguegarao City, 3500 Cagayan
(078) 844-7631; http://www.csu.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Medical Terminology

Rigor or rigidity A stiff muscle

Spasm An involuntary contraction of a
muscle
Tetany A prolonged, continuous muscle
contraction is a condition called
Ankylosis Stiff joint condition
Rheumatoid arthritis The most crippling type of arthritis,
which is characterized by chronic,
systemic inflammation
Gouty arthritis Arthritis that attacks a single joint
(e.g., the great toe) because of too
much uric acid in the blood, or
hyperuricemia
Epiphysitis Inflammation of the epiphyseal
regions of a long bone
Osteomyelitis Is an infection and inflammation of
the bone and bone marrow
Bunion swelling at the joint at the base of the
great toe caused by inflammation of
the bursa
Bony Necrosis or sequestrum The term for the condition or increase
of dead bone tissue caused by a loss
of blood supply
Chondromalacia The term refers to a softening of
cartilage
Closed fracture A fracture that indicates that the skin
is not broken
Open fracture A fracture that indicates that there is
an open wound
Simple fracture Fracture has only one fracture line
and the bones are not displaced
Complex fracture A displaced fracture that requires
manipulation to put the bone pieces
in the correct position
Comminuted fracture A fracture involving a bone that is
broken into many small pieces
Greenstick fracture An incomplete fracture, which usually
is seen in children and is named for
how a living tree branch may break
when you bend it, is a
Herniated disk A degenerated or fragmented
intervertebral disk that protrudes and
compresses a nerve
Myoma A muscle tumor
Osteoma A bone tumor
Myeloma A bone marrow tumor
Osteosarcoma A type of malignant bone tumor
Rickets A disease caused by a deficiency of
calcium and vitamin D. In children

BY: Rizalyn Joy I. Besa, LPT

 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus, Tuguegarao City, 3500 Cagayan
(078) 844-7631; http://www.csu.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Medical Terminology

Osteoporosis The condition in which bones become

less dense and more porous
Subluxation If the bones are partially dislocated
from their usual position in a joint,
Sprain An injury to a ligament without a
dislocation or fracture
Electromyogram diagnostic record of the electrical
activity of a muscle
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) The imaging technique uses magnetic
fields and radiofrequency waves to
visualize bone and joint structures
Radiography The general imaging modality that
records images produced by X-rays
Arthrogram An x-ray of a joint, usually taken
using a contrast medium
Computed axial tomography A special imaging modality using an
X-ray scanner and a computer to
produce cross-sectional images
Nuclear medicine or radionuclide A diagnostic technique using
organ imaging radioactive isotopes instead of X-rays.
Bone scan A nuclear scan of bone tissue to detect
abnormalities
Sonography The imaging modality using high-
frequency sound (ultrasound
Arthrodesis the term for binding or fusing of joint
surfaces
Arthrocentesis The term for puncture of a joint for
aspiration
Arthroscopy The procedure using an instrument to
examine a joint from within
Arthroplasty The repair or reconstruction of a joint
Amputation A partial or complete removal of a limb
Bursectomy Excision of a bursa
Bone grafting Transplantation of a piece of bone
from one site to another
Myoplasty Repair of a muscle
Osteoplasty Repair of a bone
Osteotomy An incision into the bone
Tenotomy An incision into a tendon
Spondylosyndesis The term for surgical spinal fusion
Casting The use of a stiff, solid dressing
around a limb to immobilize it during
healing
Splinting The use of a rigid device to immobilize
a limb with a fracture or injury that
can be adjusted to accommodate
swelling
Traction To maintain a pulling force on a
fractured bone or dislocated joint for
proper positioning during healing

BY: Rizalyn Joy I. Besa, LPT

 Republic of the Philippines
Cagayan State University
Andrews Campus, Tuguegarao City, 3500 Cagayan
(078) 844-7631; http://www.csu.edu.ph

COLLEGE OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Medical Terminology

Orthosis An orthopedic device used to maintain

limb support or the position of bones
Physical A therapy for patients with
musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses
that receive rehabilitative therapy,
that combines exercise and other
modalities.
Analgesic drugs A drug that relieves pain
Narcotic drugs A type of potent, addictive analgesic
drug
Antipyretic A drug that relieves fever
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs The group of drugs that includes
(NSAIDs) aspirin and ibuprofen

ABBREVIATION EXPANSION
A anterior
AKA above-knee amputation
AP anterior-posterior
BKA below-knee amputation
CAT computed axial tomography
CT computed tomography
DJD degenerative joint disease
EMG electromyogram
Fx fracture
MRI magnetic resonance imaging
NSAID nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
OA osteoarthritis
ORIF open reduction, internal fixation
P posterior
PA posterior-anterior
PT physical therapy
RA rheumatoid arthritis
ROM range of motion
Tx Traction

BY: Rizalyn Joy I. Besa, LPT