Medical Terminology: Muscular System

Muscular System Terminology

• Muscles: My/o, myos/o refer to muscle tissue.
• Tendons: Ten/o, tend/o, tendin/o denote tendons, which connect muscles to bones and signify extension and strain.
• Fibrous Tissue: Fibr/o describes fibrous tissue and fibers.
• -ia: Suffix indicating abnormal conditions, diseases, or plural of -ium.
• Movement: Kines/o, kinesi/o relate to movement in the body.
• Paralysis: -plegia indicates loss of muscle function due to nerve damage or strokes.
• Coordination: Tax/o refers to the order and coordination of muscle movement.
• Muscle Tone: Ton/o signifies muscle tension and tone, essential for movement control.
• Tri-: Prefix meaning three, often indicating groups of muscles or actions.

Muscle Function and Action

• Muscle Innervation: The process by which a muscle receives electrical impulses from nerves.
• Neuromuscular: Pertains to the relationship between nerves and muscles, crucial for coordinated movement.
• Bi-: Prefix meaning twice or double, often used to describe muscle conditions.
• Dys-: Prefix indicating difficulty or abnormality in function, often used in medical conditions.

Muscle Movements

• Abduction: Moving a limb away from the body's midline.
• Adduction: Moving a limb toward the midline, essential for coordination.
• Flexion: Decreasing the angle between two bones by bending a joint.
• Extension: Increasing the angle between two bones, straightening a limb.
• Hyperextension: Overextending a limb past its normal range.
• Supination: Rotating a limb so the palm or sole is facing upward.
• Pronation: Rotating a limb so the palm or sole is facing downward.
• Dorsiflexion: Bending the foot upward at the ankle.
• Plantar Flexion: Bending the foot downward at the ankle.

Muscle Disorders and Conditions

• Ataxia: Lack of muscle coordination during voluntary movements, resulting in unsteady actions.
• Contracture: Permanent tightening of muscles and connective tissues, limiting movement.
• Bradykinesia: Extremely slow movements, commonly associated with conditions like Parkinson's disease.
• Dyskinesia: Distortion or impairment of voluntary movements, often resulting in tics or spasms.
• Hyperkinesia: Increased muscle activity or function, can indicate various disorders.

Inflammatory and Degenerative Conditions

• Fasciitis: Inflammation of the fascia, commonly seen in conditions like plantar fasciitis.
• Tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the tendon sheath, affecting movement and causing pain.
• Tendinitis: Inflammation of tendons due to overuse or strain, e.g., tennis elbow.

Muscle Pain and Herniation

• Myalgia: Muscle tenderness or pain, which can indicate underlying issues.
• Myocele: Herniation of muscle tissue through a tear in the surrounding fascia.

Muscular Dystrophies

• Muscular Dystrophy (MD): A group of over 30 diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration.
• Polymyositis: Muscle disease featuring inflammation and weakness of voluntary muscles, often affecting the torso.
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD): Most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy in children, typically affects boys aged 3-5.
• Becker Muscular Dystrophy: Similar to DMD but less severe.

Paralysis and Related Conditions

• Paralysis: Loss of movement and sensation in muscles due to nerve injury, can be temporary or permanent.
• Hemiparesis: Slight paralysis affecting one body side, often due to stroke or brain injury.
• Hemiplegia: Total paralysis affecting one side of the body, commonly resulting from brain damage.

Test your knowledge of medical terminology related to the muscular system with these flashcards. Each card provides a word along with its definition to help you learn key terms used in anatomy and physiology. Perfect for students in healthcare-related fields!