chiropractor
specializes in the manipulative treatment of disorders originating from misalignment of the spine
orthopedic surgeon
specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders involving bones, joints, and muscles
osteopath
uses traditional forms of medical treatment in addition to specializing in treating health problems by spinal manipulation
podiatrist
specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders of the foot
ankylosis
loss, or absence, of mobility in a joint die to disease, infury, or surgical procedure
arthrosclerosis
stiffness of the joints, especially in the elderly
bursitis
inflammation of a bursa
chondromalacia
abnormal softening of cartilage
chondroma
slow-growing benighn tumor derived from cartilage cells
costochondritis
inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the sternum
hallux valgus
aka bunion; abnormal enlargement of the joint at the base of the great toe
hemarthrosis
blood within a joint
synovitis
inflammation of the synovial membrane that results in swelling and pain of the affected joint
dislocation
aka luxation; the total displacement of a bone from its joint
subluxation
partial displacement of a bone from its joint
arthritis
an inflammatory condition of one or more joints
osteoarthritis
aka wear-and-tear arthritis; most commonly associated with aging; aka degenerative joint disease because it is characterized by the wearing away of the articular cartilage within the joints (degenerative=breaking down or impairment of a body part)
spondylosis
aka spinal osteoarthritis; degenerative disorder that can cause the loss of normal spinal structure and function
gouty arthritis (aka: gout)
arthritis characterized by deposits of uric acid in the joints
rheumatoid arthritis
abbr. RA; chronic autoimmune disorder in which the joints and some organs of other body systems are attacked causing swelling, pain, and immobility
ankylosing spondylitis
form of rheumatoid arthritis that primarily causes inflammation of the joints between vertebrae
juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
autoimmune disorder that affects children aged 16 years or less with symptoms that include stiffness, pain, joint swelling, skin rash, fever, slowed growth, and fatigue
herniated disk
aka slipped or ruptured disk; breaking apart of an intervertebral disk that results in pressure on spinal nerve roots
lumbago (lum-BAY-goh)
aka low back pain; pain of the lumbar region of the spine
spondylolisthesis (spon-dih-loh-liss-THEE-sis)
the forward slipping movement of the body of one of the lower lumbar vertebrae on the vertebra or scrum below it
spina bifida
congenital defect that occurs during early pregnancy when the spinal canal fails to close completely around the spinal cord to protect it
kyphosis
abnormal increase in the outward curvature of the thoracic spine as viewed from the side
lordosis
abnormal increase in the forward curvature of the lumbar spine
scoliosis
abnormal lateral curvature of the spine
craniostenosis
malformation of the skull due to premature closure of the cranial structures
fibrous dysplasia
bone disorder of unknown cause that destroys normal bone structure and replaces it with fibrous (scar-like) tissue; leads to uneven growth, brittleness, and deformity of the affected bones.
ostealgia (aka: osteodynia)
pain in the bone
osteitis (aka: ostitis)
inflammation of bone
osteomalacia
aka adult rickets; abnormal softening of bones in adults
osteomyelitis
inflammation of the bone marrow and adjacent bone; usually caused by deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, and/or phosphate
osteonecrosis
death of bone tissue due to lack of insufficient blood supply
paget's disease
aka osteitis deformans; bone disease of unknown cause characterized by excessive breakdown of bone tissue followed by abnormal bone formation
periostitis
inflammation of the periosteum
rickets
aka infantile osteomalacia; deficiency disease ocurring in children characterized by defective bone growth, results from vitamin D deficiency
short stature
formerly known as dwarfism; condition resulting from failure of the bones of the limbs to grow to an appropriate length
talipes (TAL-ih-peez)
aka clubfoot; congenital deformity of the foot involving the talus (ankle bones)
primary bone cancer
rare malignant tumor that originates in the bone; ex. ewing's sarcoma occurs in the upper arm, legs, pelvis or ribs.
secondary bone cancer
tumors that have metastasized (spread) to bones from other organs such as the breasts or lungs.
myeloma
type of cancer that occurs in blood-making cells found in the red bone marrow
osteochondroma
benign bony projection covered with cartilage
osteoporosis
marked loss of bone density and an increase in bone porosity that is frequently associated with aging
osteopenia (oss-tee-oh-PEE-nee-ah)
thinner than average bone density in a young person; used to describe the condition of someone who does not yet have osteoporosis but is at risk for developing it.
compression fracture
aka vertebral crush fracture; occurs when the bone is pressed together on itself
Colle's fracture (eponym-Abraham Colles)
aka fractured wrist; occurs at the lower end of the radius when a person tries to stop a fall by landing on their hands
osteoporotic hip fracture
aka broken hip; usually caused by weakening of the bones due to osteoporosis and can occur spontaneously or a the result of a fall
fracture
broken bone
closed fracture
aka simple fracture or complete fracture; one in which the bone is broken, but there is no open wound in the skin
open fracture
aka compound fracture; bone is broken and there is an open wound in the skin
comminuted fracture
bone is splintered or crushed
greenstick fracture
aka incomplete fracture; one in which the bone is bent and only partially broken
oblique fracture
occurs across an angle across the bone
pathologic fracture
occurs when a weakened bone breaks under normal strain; due to bones being weakened by osteoporosis or to a disease process such as cancer
spiral fracture
fracture which the bone has been twisted apart
stress fracture
overuse injury, is a small crack in the bone that often develops from chronic, excessive impact
transverse fracture
occurs straight across the bone
fat embolus
forms when long bone is fractured and fat cells from yellow bone marrow are released into the blood
crepitation
aka crepitus; grating sound heard when the ends of a broken bone move together
callus
thickening of the skin caused by repeated rubbing; can form around a break as the bone heals