Ankylosing Spondylitis, Radiologic Perspective Glossary of Terms

1. Take the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quiz
2. Myths and Facts About Back Pain

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Adjacent: Lying nearby. Related terms include superjacent, subjacent, and circumjacent. Fr...

Ankylosing: Having a tendency to stiffen and fuse together.

Ankylosing spondylitis: A form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joi...

Ankylosis: Stiffness or, more often, fusion of a joint. From the Greek ankylsis, meaning s...

Annulus: A ringlike structure, or any body part that is shaped like a ring. Applied to man...

Antagonist: A substance that acts against and blocks an action. Antagonist is the opposite...

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Arthropathy: Joint disease.

Aspergillus: A family of fungal organisms and molds, some of which can cause disease.

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bridge: A set of one or more false teeth supported by a metal framework, used to replace ...

Bullae: More than one bulla, a bulla being a blister more than 5 mm (about 3/16 inch) in d...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cartilage: Firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints. A flexible kind of cartilag...

Cauda equina: A bundle of spinal nerve roots that arise from the end of the spinal cord. T...

Cauda equina syndrome: Impairment of the nerves in the cauda equina, characterized by dull...

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

Computed tomography: An x-ray procedure that uses the help of a computer to produce a deta...

Consultant: An individual to whom one refers for expert advice or services. The use of con...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diverticula: The plural of diverticulum.

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Femur: The single bone in the thigh, which is the largest bone in the human body. Also kno...

Focal: Pertaining to a focus which in medicine may refer to:
1. The point at ...

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Groin: The area where the thigh meets the hip.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Iris: The circular, colored curtain of the eye. The opening of the iris forms the pupil. T...

Iritis: Inflammation of the iris. The iris is the circular, colored curtain in the front o...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. Lesions vary in severity from harmless to serio...

Ligament: A tough band of connective tissue that connects various structures, such as two ...

Limb: An arm or a leg.

Low back pain: Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spi...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Magnetic resonance imaging: A procedure that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer t...

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische...

Objective: In a microscope, the objective (also called the objective lens) is the lens nea...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Ossification: The process of creating bone, that is of transforming cartilage (or fibrous ...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the fe...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Posterior: The back or behind, as opposed to the anterior.

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Radiate: To spread out from a central area. For example, sciatic pain may radiate outward ...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances a...

Radiologic: Having to do with radiology.

Radiologist: A physician specialized in radiology, the branch of medicine that uses ionizi...

Rheumatoid spondylitis: See: Ankylosing spondylitis.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the nonsurgical evaluation...

Rib: One of the 12 paired arches of bone that form the skeletal structure of the chest wal...

Rib cage: The structure formed by the thoracic vertebrae and ribs, the sternum (breastbone...

Sacrum: The large heavy bone at the base of the spine, which is made up of fused sacral v...

Scintigraphy: A diagnostic test in which a two-dimensional picture of a body radiation sou...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal fusion: A surgical procedure in which two or more of the vertebrae in the spine are...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Spondylitis: Inflammation of one or more of the vertebrae of the spine. Diffuse inflammati...

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Synovitis: Inflammation of the synovial membrane, the lining of the joints.

Thigh: The thick, muscular portion of the leg that extends from the hip to the knee. The t...

Thigh bone: The thigh bone in anatomy is called the "femur." Whichever term you care to us...

Thoracic: Pertaining to the chest. For example, the thoracic aorta is the part of the aort...

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tuberculous: Pertaining to tuberculosis. Affected by tuberculosis. Caused by Mycobacterium...

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Tumor necrosis factor: One of multiple proteins capable of inducing necrosis (death) of tu...

Unilateral: Having, or relating to, one side. For example, a unilateral rash is one that i...

Vertebra: A vertebra is one of 33 bony segments that form the spinal column of humans. Th...

Vertebrae: The preferred plural of vertebra. (The alternate plural is vertebras.) See also...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...