Health Sciences 1101

Medical Terminology

Module 10The Musculoskeletal System

Basic Musculoskeletal TermsIntro Video

Orthopedics: The branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Orthopedists or orthopedic surgeons: Physicians who specialize in orthopedics.

Osteopathic physician (DO): A physician with much of the same function as a medical doctor (MD) but who takes a more holistic approach that includes proper alignment of bones, muscles, ligaments, and nerves.

Chiropractics: A system of therapy based on the theory that disease is caused by pressure on the nerves. Chiropractic treatment most often involves physical manipulation of the spine.

Musculoskeletal Anatomy TermsTissue Types

Oste/o: bone

Fasci/o: band or fascia

Fibr/o: fiber or fibrous tissue

Leiomy/o: smooth muscle

Muscul/o or my/o: muscle

Myel/o: Bone marrow or spinal cord

Ten/o, tend/o or tendin/o: tendon

Chondr/o: cartilage

Musculoskeletal Anatomy TermsSkeletal System – upper extremities

Phalang/o: phalanges (bones of the fingers or toes)

Metacarp/o: metacarpus (hand bones)

Carp/o: carpus (wrist bones)

Humer/o: humerus

*scapul/o, clavicul/o, radi/o, uln/o etc.

Phalang/o: phalanges (bones of the fingers or toes)

Calcane/o: calcaneum (heel bone)

Fibul/o: fibula (smaller outer bone of the lower leg)

Tibi/o: tibia (larger inner bone of the lower leg)

Patell/o: patella (kneecap)

Femor/o: femur (thigh bone)

Pelv/i or pelv/o: pelvis

Musculoskeletal Anatomy TermsSkeletal System – lower extremities

Muscles and Bones

Muscles attach to other muscles by ligaments

Muscles are attached to bones by tendons.

Contraction of the muscle moves bones at the joint.

In this example, when the arm muscle (E) contracts, the elbow joint (F) flexes, and the hand (L) is lifted.

Cervic/o: neck

Cost/o: ribs

Crani/o: cranium or skull

Spondyl/o or vertebr/o: vertebra (backbone)

Lamin/o: lamina (part of vertebral arch)

Stern/o: sternum (breastbone)

Musculoskeletal Anatomy TermsSkeletal System – axial skeleton

Cervix - “neck”

Thorax - “chest”

Lumbar - “loin”

Sacral - “holy” 5 sacral vertebrae, fused

Coccyx - “tailbone”

Other Important Musculoskeletal Terms

Orth/o: straight

Ankyl/o: stiffness, bent, crooked

Arthr/o: joint

-clasia or -clast: to break

-desis: binding or fixation of a bone or joint

-malacia: softening

-physis: growth

-porosis: porous

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Strain: Trauma to a muscle from overuse or excessive forcible stretch

Sprain: Trauma to a joint that causes injury to the surrounding ligaments

Tendonitis: Inflammation of a tendon usually caused by injury or overuse

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Musculotendinous injury: damage to the muscles and tendons. Rotator cuff tears are a good example. The cause of this is complete abduction of the shoulder, followed by a rapid and forceful rotation and flexion of the shoulder

Crepitation: Grating sound made by movement of bone ends rubbing together

Musculoskeletal Pathology TermsContracture: Fibrosis of

connective tissue in skin, fascia, muscle or joint capsule preventing normal mobility

Torticollis: Spasmodic contraction of the neck muscles causing stiffness and twisting of the neck.

Myasthenia gravis: An autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscular weakness and progressive fatigue.

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Osteoporosis: Decrease in bone density and an increase in porosity. Bones become brittle and the risk of fractures increases.

Rheumatoid arthritis: Chronic, systemic disease characterized by inflammatory changes in joints and related structures. Results in crippling deformities.

Gout: Hereditary metabolic disease that is a form of acute arthritis. Characterized by excessive uric acid in the blood and around joints.

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Ewing Sarcoma: Malignant growth found in the shaft of long bones that spreads to the periosteum

Paget Disease of Bone: Skeletal disease of the elderly with chronic inflammation of bones. Results in thickening and softening of bones and bowing of long bones. Also called Osteitis deformans

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Rickets: Softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency, most often seen in children. Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption.

Talipes equinovarus: Congenital deformity of the foot. Also called clubfoot.

Muscular Dystrophy: Group of hereditary diseases characterized by gradual atrophy and weakness of muscle tissue. Duchenne type is the most common.

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Kyphosis: Increased curvature of the thoracic section of the vertebral column. Can cause hunchback or humpback.

Lordosis: Forward curvature of the lumbar spine. Sometimes called swayback.

Scoliosis: Lateral curvature of the spine.

Ankylosing spondylitis: Chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that first affects the spine and is characterized by fusion and loss of mobility of two or more vertebrae; also called rheumatoid spondylitis

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Ankylosing spondylitis: Chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that first affects the spine and is characterized by fusion and loss of mobility of two or more vertebrae; also called rheumatoid spondylitis.

Spondylolisthesis: Partial forward dislocation of one vertebra over the one below it, most commonly the fifth lumbar vertebra over the first sacral vertebra; also called spinal cord compression

Musculoskeletal Pathology TermsHerniated disk: Herniation or

rupture of the nucleus pulposus (center gelatinous material within an intervertebral disk) between two vertebrae.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Pain or numbness resulting from compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel (wrist canal).

Sequestrum: Fragment of necrosed (dead) bone that has become separated from surrounding tissue

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Osteoporosis: Increased osteoclastic activity leading to decreased bone density.

Osteosclerosis: Hardening of the bones (too much osteoblastic activity)

Osteomalacia: Softening of the bones (too much osteoclastic activity)

Subluxation: Partial or complete dislocation

Fractures

Compound/open: A fracture in which the broken end of a bone has been moved, so that it pierces the skin. There may be extensive damage to surrounding blood vessels, nerves, and muscles

Impacted: Type of fracture in which broken ends of bone are forced into one another.

Musculoskeletal Pathology Terms

Musculoskeletal Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is almost always made through the use of radiography. Don’t forget the radiography terms as well as the directional terms.

Arthrocentesis: Puncture of a joint space with a needle to remove fluid.

Arthroplasty: Surgical reconstruction of a joint.

Total hip replacement: Replacement of the head of the femur and acetabulum with metal components to make a new hip joint