A
Achilles tendinitis
Inflammation of the Achilles tendon often caused by overuse or training too much, too soon especially on hard surfaces.
Anabolic steroids
Synthetic derivatives of testosterone
Anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL)
An acute knee injury that usually occurs through a twisting force being applied to the knee while the foot is firmly planted on the ground or upon landing.
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
An operation where the lumbar spine is approached from the front through an incision in the abdomen
Arthritis
inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and changes in structure
Arthrodesis
Surgical fixation of a joint, ultimately resulting in bone fusion.
Arthroplasty
An operative procedure of reshaping or reconstructing a diseased joint
Arthroscopy
A form of minimally invasive surgery in which an arthroscope is introduced into an area of the body through a small incision
Athlete's foot
An infection of the toe web area.
B
Baseball finger
Also known as a mallet finger, this is a deformity of a finger caused when a tendon is damaged when a ball or other object strikes the tip of the finger or thumb
Bone densitometry
A procedure used to detect osteopenia by measuring the density of the bone
Bone graft
Bone taken from the patient during surgery or a bone substitute that is used to take the place of removed bone or to fill a bony defect
Bone Spurs
Bony projections formed along joints that can limit motion and can cause pain
C
Callus
An especially toughened area of skin which has become relatively thick
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Median nerve compression at the wrist that is characterized by pain, numbness, and weakness in the median nerve distribution of the hand
Cervical intervertebral disk herniation
An injury where disk material pushes against or ruptures the annulus fibrosus to impinge against the spinal cord or nerve root
Charley horse
Muscle soreness and stiffness caused by overstrain or a contusion; also known as a quadriceps contusion
Chronic rotator cuff tear
Tear of the rotator cuff of the shoulder resulting from degeneration within the rotator cuff tendon
Claw toe
Deformity involving hyperextension of the MTP joint and a hyperflexion of the interphalangeal joint
Closed fracture
A fracture that does not disrupt the integrity of the surrounding skin
Clubfoot
A birth defect. The foot is twisted in and down
Compound fracture
Any fracture in which the overlying skin has been penetrated
Computed tomography (CT, CAT scan)
A radiological exam that allows cross-sectional imaging from a series of x-ray beams. CT is useful in evaluating fractures and bone tumors
Corticosteroids
Cortisone-like medicines that are used to provide relief for inflamed areas of the body by lessening swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions
D
Degenerative joint disease
Deterioration of the articular cartilage that lines a joint, which results in narrowing of the joint space and pain
DEXA or DXA
A diagnostic imaging exam to assess bone density
Diskography
A procedure in which a radiopaque material is injected into a lumbar or cervical intervertebral disk to outline the disk. This procedure used with CT to help identify the source of back pain.
Diskectomy
A removal of a portion of a herniated disc
Displaced fracture
A fracture that produces deformity of the limb
E
Effusion
Fluid within a joint
F
Fibular stress fracture
A stress fracture of the fibula is a small fracture or hairline crack in the bone
Fracture
A disruption in the integrity of a bone
Functional knee pain
Pain that cannot be linked with any anatomic pathology
Fusion
Joining together of two or more vertebra.
G
Gout
An inflammatory arthritis associated with deposition of urate in the joint
H
Herniated disk
A bulge in a disc that can press on nerves and cause pain
I
ICES
Ice, compression, elevation, and splinting
Internal fixation
Surgical insertion of a device that stops motion across a fracture or joint to encourage bony healing or fusion
Inversion injury
Ankle injury resulting from landing on the lateral aspect of the foot
J
Joint mobilization
Passive movement techniques used to treat joint dysfunctions such as stiffness, reversible joint hypomobility, and pain
K
Kyphosis
Abnormal rearward curvature of the spine, resulting in protuberance of the upper back. (hunchback)
L
Laminectomy
A procedure to removed part or all of the lamina
Lumbar spine
Lower portion of the spine between the thoracic spine and the sacrum. The lumbar spine consists of five bones (vertebrae) labeled L1-L5
M
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
An imaging modality that is useful in diagnosing soft-tissue injuries, tumors, stress fracture, and infection
Meniscus
A soft-tissue structure that lines some joints and provides load distribution, shock absorption, and lubrication
Myelopathy
An abnormal condition of the spinal cord, whether through disease or compression
N
Navicular stress fracture
A fracture that occurs with repetitive stress activities and results in medial foot pain and tenderness over the dorsal navicular.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
A broad group of drugs that includes aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, naproxen, and others
O
Osteoarthritis
A degenerative disease of joints resulting from wear of the cartilage
Overuse injury
Any injury caused by repetitive submaximal stress that surpasses the tissue's natural repair processes
P
Patella
Kneecap
Patellar tendinitis
A condition that results in pain and inflammation of the patella tendon; a common problem in jumping sports
Peritendinitis
Inflammation of the tendon sheath, marked by pain, swelling, and, occasionally, local crepitus
Peroneal tendon injuries
A classification of injuries that includes tendinitis, acute and chronic dislocations, longitudinal tears, and tendon ruptures
Plantar fasciitis
A common cause of inferior heel pain
Planus
Flattening of the arch of the foot
Q
Quadriceps tendinitis
A condition that commonly occurs in running and jumping sports that involve changing directions.
R
Radiculopathy
Pain from a nerve root.
Range of motion (ROM)
The amount of movement available at a joint
Reflex
Fairly fixed pattern of response or behavior similar for any given stimulus; does not involve a conscious action
Regeneration
The production of tissue that is structurally and functionally identical to tissue damaged by injury.
Rehabilitation
Restoration, following disease, illness, or injury, of the ability to function in a normal or near-normal manner
Resection arthroplasty
A procedure in which the surfaces of diseased bone are excised, allowing fibrocartilage to grow in its place
Rheumatoid arthritis
An autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints
RICE
RICE is an acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation
Rotator cuff tear
An injury of the rotator cuff ; occurs when there is an injury to one of the rotator cuff tendons
S
Scoliosis
"S" shaped curvature of the spine
Shin splints
An overuse syndrome.
Spinal stenosis
Narrowing of the canal housing the spinal cord.
Splint
Device used to immobilize part of the body
Spondylolisthesis
Forward displacement of one of the lumbar vertebrae over the vertebrae below it
Spondylolysis
A crack in the bony ring of the spinal column.
Sprain
Partial or complete tear of a ligament
Stenosis
Constriction or narrowing of a duct or passage.
Strain
Partial tear of a muscle
Stress fracture
An overuse injury, leading to painful, weakened bone
T
Tendinitis
An injury that produces an inflammatory response within the tendon.
Tennis elbow
Inflammation of muscle origins at the lateral epicondyle
U
Ultrasound
An imaging modality used to evaluate infant hip disorders and tears of the rotator cuff
Source: AAOS.org
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