Skeletal System: Word Roots

Word Roots related to the Skeletal System

• Ankyl/o refers to stiffness or being bent or crooked
  • Ankylosis is the condition of having stiffness
• Arthr/o and Articul/o refer to a joint
  • Arthritis inflammation of a joint
• Myel/o refers to bone marrow or the spinal cord
  • Myelocyte is a bone marrow cell
• Oste/o refers to bone
  • Osteoma is a bone tumor.
• Ped/o refers to the foot
  • Pedograph is an instrument for recording the foot
• Acromi/o refers to the acromion
  • Acromial relates to the acromion
• Chondr/o refers to cartilage
  • Chondromalacia is the softening of cartilage
• Crani/o refers to the skull
  • Craniotomy is a surgical incision made in the skull.
• Spondyl/o refers to vertebrae
  • Spondylitis refers to inflammation of the vertebrae
• Vertebr/o refers to vertebrae
  • Vertebral pertains to vertebrae
• Burs/o refers to a bursa
  • Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa
• Ten/o, tend/o and tendin/o refer to tendons
  • Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon

Pathologic Conditions of the Skeletal System

• Ankylosing Spondylitis
  • Word elements include ankyl (crooked/stiff), osing (condition), spondyl (vertebrae), and itis (inflammation)
  • Its the chronic inflammatory disease of the spine, characterized by fusion and loss of mobility for two or more vertebrae
• Ankylosis
  • Word elements include ankyl (crooked/stiff) and osis (condition)
  • Stiffening and immobility of a joint
• Arthralgia
  • Word elements include arthr (joint) and algia (pain)
  • Pain in a joint
• Arthritis
  • Word elements include arthr (joint) and itis (inflammation)
  • Inflammation of a joint
• Arthropathy
  • Word elements include arthr/o (joint) and pathy (disease)
  • Refers to any disease of a joint
• Bursitis
  • Word elements include burs (bursa) and itis (inflammation)
  • Inflammation of the bursa
• Chondromalacia Patellae
  • Word elements include chondr/o (cartilage) and malacia (softening)
  • It is the softening or damage of/to the cartilage of the kneecap
• Comminuted Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • Characterized as a splintered or crushed bone
• Compound Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • It is a break in a bone accompanied by an open wound in the skin
• Compression fracture
  • No word elements present
  • The break in a bone results from compression
• Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • Any break in a bone
• Gouty Arthritis
  • Word elements include arthr (joint) and itis (inflammation)
  • Inflammation of the joints caused by gout
• Greenstick Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • A condition in which a bone is partially bent and partially broken.
• Hemarthrosis
  • Elements include hem (blood), arthr (joint), and osis (condition)
  • Effusion of blood into the joint cavity.
• Herniated Disc
  • Elements include herni (hernia/protrusion) and ated (subjected to).
  • Protrusion of a vertebral disc into the center of the vertebral column.
• Impacted Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • A break in a bone in which one fragment is wedged into the other.
• Kyphosis
  • Word elements include kyph (hunchback) and osis (condition).
  • Increased curvature of the thoracic region of the vertebral column, leading to hunchback posture.
• Lordosis
  • Elements include lord (curve; swayback) and osis (condition)
  • Forward curvature of the lumbar region of the vertebral column, leading to swayback posture
• Luxation
  • Word elements include lux (to slide) and ation (process)
  • Displacement of a bone from its joint.
• Osteoarthritis
  • Word elements include oste/o (bone), arthr (joint), and itis (inflammation)
  • Chronic inflammatory disease characterized by destruction of articular cartilage and overgrowth of bone in the weight-bearing joints.
• Osteomalacia
  • Elements include oste/o (bone) and malacia (softening).
  • Softening and weakening of the bones.
• Osteomyelitis
  • Word elements include oste/o (bone), myel (bone marrow), and itis (inflammation).
  • Inflammation of the bone and the bone marrow.
• Myeloma
  • Word elements include myel (bone marrow) and oma (tumor).
  • Primary malignant tumor that infiltrates the bone and red bone marrow.
• Osteoporosis
  • Elements include oste/o (bone) and porosis (becoming porous).
  • Loss of calcium and bone tissue, causing the bone to become porous.
• Paget's Disease
  • No word elements present
  • Characterized by weakened, thickened, deformed bones.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rheumat (watery flow), oid (resembling), arthr (joint), and itis (inflammation) are the word elements.
  • Chronic joint disease characterized by inflammation, pain, stiffness, and eventually deformity of the affected joints due to inflammation of the synovial membrane.
• Scoliosis
  • Word elements include scoli (crooked, bent) and osis (condition).
  • Abnormal curvature of the vertebral column, eventually causing pain.
• Simple Fracture
  • No word elements present
  • A break in a bone without an external fracture.
• Spina Bifida
  • No word elements present
  • Congenital disorder characterized by a malformation of the spine due to abnormal formation of vertebrae.
• Sprain
  • No word elements present
  • Twisting of a joint.
• Spondylolisthesis
  • Elements include spondyl/o (vertebrae) and listhesis (slipping).
  • Any slipping of a vertebra from its normal position.
• Spondylosis
  • spondyl (vertebrae) and osis (condition) are the word elements.
  • Degenerative condition of the spine associated with aging.
• Spondylolysis
  • Word elements: Spondyl/o (vertebrae) and lysis (destruction)
  • Refers to the breakdown/degeneration of the spine
• Subluxation
  • Word elements: sub (under, beneath), and lux (to slide)
  • Partial displacement of a bone from its joint
• Synovitis
  • Elements include synov (synovial membrane) and itis (inflammation)
  • Inflammation of the synovial membrane

Diagnostic Procedures of the Skeletal System

• Arthrocentesis:
  • Involves using a needle to puncture a joint
  • Word Elements: arthr/o (joint), -centesis (puncture)
• Arthrography:
  • Is an X-ray recording of a joint following injection of a contrast agent
  • Word Elements: arthr/o (joint), -graphy (recording)
• Arthroscopy:
  • Involves a visual examination of a joint using an arthroscope
  • Word elements: arthr/o (joint), -scopy (visual examination)
• Bone Scan:
  • Involves visualizing a joint using a special scanner
  • No Word Elements
• Rheumatoid Factor Test:
  • Uses a test to detect a substance present in the blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Word Elements: rheumat (watery flow), -oid (resembling)

Therapeutic Procedures of the Skeletal System

• Arthrectomy
  • Surgical removal of a joint
  • Word elements include arthr (joint) and ectomy (surgical removal
• Arthroclasia
  • Deliberate breaking of a fused joint to permit movement
  • Word elements included arthr/o (joint) and clasia (to break)
• Arthrodesis
  • Surgical fixation or binding together of bones to immobilize a joint
  • Word elements include arthr/o (joint) and desis (to bind together)
• Arthroplasty
  • Surgical repair or replacement of a joint
  • Word elements include arthr/o (joint) and plasty (surgical repair)
• Bursectomy
  • Surgical removal of one or more bursae.
  • The word elements involved are burs (bursa) and ectomy (surgical removal).
• Craniotomy
  • Surgical incision in the skull
  • Word elements: crani/o (skull), -tomy (surgical incision)
• Osteotomy
  • Surgical incision in a bone
  • Word elements: oste/o (bone), -tomy (surgical incision)
• Synovectomy
  • Surgical removal of a synovial membrane
  • Word elements: synov (synovial fluid; membrane), -ectomy (surgical removal)