Abduction

Moving the limb or hand laterally away from the body, or spreading the fingers or toes.

Adduction

Movement that brings the limb or hand toward or across the midline of the body, or brings the fingers or toes together.

Amphiarthrosis

A slightly mobile joint.

Ankylosis

Fixation and immobility of a joint.

Appendicular skeleton

All bones of the upper and lower limbs, plus the girdle bones that attach each limb to the axial skeleton.

Arthralgia

Joint pain.

Arthritis

Chronic inflammation of the synovial joints.

Arthrocentesis

Surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from a joint.

Arthrodesis

Surgical fixation of a joint.

Arthrography

Process of recording a joint.

Arthroplasty

Joint replacement surgery.

Arthroscopy

Process of viewing a joint using an endoscope.

Articulations

Where two bone surfaces meet.

Autoimmune diseases/disorders

Disorders in which the immune system overreacts and begins to attack itself.

Axial skeleton

The central, vertical axis of the body, including the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage.

Bradykinesia

Condition of slow movement.

Bursitis

Inflammation of a bursa near a joint.

Chondromalacia

Degeneration of cartilage.

Chronic

A condition that lasts a long time with periods of remission and exacerbation.

Craniotomy

An operation in which a piece of the skull is removed.

Diarthrosis

Freely mobile joints.

Diskectomy

Excision of the intervertebral disk.

Discitis

Inflammation of the intervertebral disk.

Dyskinesia

Abnormal involuntary movements of the extremities, trunk, or jaw.

Edema

Swelling due to excessive liquid in the tissues.

Eversion

Foot movement in which the bottom of the foot is turned laterally, away from the midline.

Extension

Movement in the sagittal plane that increases the angle of a joint (straightens the joint).

Flexion

Movement in the sagittal plane that decreases the angle of a joint (bends the joint).

Hematopoiesis

The production of blood cells.

Hyperkinesia

Excessive movement of muscles of the body as a whole.

Hypertrophy

The enlargement of muscles.

Inversion

Foot movement in which the bottom of the foot is turned toward the midline.

Kyphosis

An excessive posterior curvature of the thoracic region; also called humpback.

Lordosis

Excessive anterior curvature of the lumbar vertebral column region; also called swayback.

Lumbar

Pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine (L1 to L5).

Lumbosacral

Pertaining to the region of the back that includes the lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, and nearby structures.

Muscular dystrophy

A general term for the group of inherited myopathies that are characterized by wasting and weakness of the skeletal muscle.

Osteitis

Inflammation of bone.

Osteoarthritis

The most common type of arthritis; associated with aging and “wear and tear” of the articular cartilage.

Osteoblast

The cell responsible for forming new bone.

Osteochondritis

Inflammation of bone and cartilage.

Osteocyte

Bone cell.

Osteomalacia

A softening of adult bones due to Vitamin D deficiency.

Osteomyelitis

Inflammation of bone and bone marrow.

Osteonecrosis

Abnormal condition of bone death (lack of blood supply).

Osteopenia

Abnormally low bone mass or bone mineral density.

Osteopetrosis

Abnormal condition of porous bones.

Osteoporosis

A disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass that occurs when the rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation.

Osteosarcoma

Malignant tumor of bone.

Pelvic

Pertaining to the pelvis.

Pronation

Forearm motion that moves the palm of the hand from the palm forward to the palm backward position.

Rotation

Movement of a bone around a central axis or around its long axis.

Sarcopenia

Age-related muscle atrophy.

Scoliosis

Lateral curvature of the spine.

Spondyloarthritis

Inflammation of the joints of the spine.

Spondylosis

A degenerative spinal disease that can involve any part of the vertebra, intervertebral disk, and surrounding soft tissue.

Supination

Forearm motion that moves the palm of the hand from the palm backward to the palm forward position.

Synarthrosis

An immobile or nearly immobile joint.

Synovectomy

Excision of the synovial membrane.

Synovial sarcoma

Malignant tumor of the synovial membrane.

Tendinitis

Inflammation of the tendon.

Tenosynovitis

Inflammation of the synovial membrane of a tendon.

Vertebroplasty

A procedure used to repair a bone in the spine that has a break caused by cancer, osteoporosis, or trauma.