Orthopedic Terminology – Common Terms
Orthopedic terminology – when you visit your orthopedic physician, you will hear some new and confusing terminology. Words like patella, fibula, medial, ACL and many more are common in the orthopedic surgeon’s vocabulary. But what do they mean in layman’s terms? They certainly can be very confusing.
Your orthopedic surgeon should explain these terms to you but even then they can still be quite confusing. Below is a list of common terms and their meanings that are often used by .
ANTERIOR – at the front of the body.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament – usually abbreviated to ACL is the ligament that connects the femur to the tibia. Responsible for a large proportion of knee injuries.
ARTICULAR CARTILAGE – the covering of the moving inside surfaces of the knee.
ARTHROSCOPY – minimally invasive surgery routinely used in knee surgery to repair the knee or remove debris from the knee joint.
BONE SPURS or Osteophytes – abnormal projections of bone most commonly caused by excessive stress on the ends of the bones.
CARTILAGE – the covering of the bones in a joint that allows the joint to move and also cushions the bone.
FEMUR - the thigh bone.
FIBULA – the outer bone in the leg between the ankle and the knee.
HAMSTRINGS – the muscles at the back of the thighs.
LIGAMENTS – the tissue that connects one bone to another.
MENISCUS – the cartilage that gives further cushioning to the knee joint.
MENISECTOMY – arthroscopic surgery to remove part of the meniscus.
OSTEOPHYTES – see bone spurs.
PATELLA – the kneecap, the flat bone at the front of the knee.
PATELLO FEMORAL JOINT – the joint under the kneecap.
PATELLA LIGAMENT – the ligament that secures the patella (knee cap) over the front of the knee joint.
POSTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT – usually abbreviated to PCL and is found behind the Cruciate ligament.
QUADRICEPS – the muscles located at the front of thighs.
SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE – the membrane that produces a lubricant (synovial fluid) to help knee move smoothly.
TIBIA – The shin bone.
These are the most common terms that your orthopaedic surgeon or the surgeon’s assistant may use but there are many more.
Although orthopedic terminology can be confusing, the knowledge of a few of the more common terms will help in your understanding of the complex knee joint and impending orthopedic knee surgery.
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