Bone Spurs Glossary of Terms

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Ankylosing: Having a tendency to stiffen and fuse together.

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

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

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

Calcaneus: The heel bone, a more or less rectangular bone at the back of the foot. Also kn...

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

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

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

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Cortisone: A naturally occurring adrenocorticoid hormone that is produced in minute amount...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: A form of degenerative arthritis characteristica...

Fascia: A flat band of tissue below the skin that covers underlying tissues and separates ...

Fasciitis: Inflammation of the fascia.

Hyperostosis: Overgrowth of bone.

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

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

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

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

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

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

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

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss ...

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

Physical therapist: A person who is trained and certified by a state or accrediting body t...

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Plantar: Having to do with the sole of the foot.

Plantar fasciitis: Inflammation of the plantar fascia, the bowstring-like tissue that stre...

Radiculopathy: Any disease of the spinal nerve roots and spinal nerves. Radiculopathy is c...

Rotator cuff: A group of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Each of these ten...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Shoulder: A structure made up of two main bones: the scapula (shoulder blade) and the hume...

Skeletal: Pertaining to the skeleton, the bones of the body that collectively provide the ...

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

Spinal cord compression: The act of exerting an abnormal amount of pressure on the spinal...

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...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

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

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

Tendinitis: Inflammation of a tendon (the tissue by which muscle attaches to bone). Tendin...

Tendon: The soft tissue by which muscle attaches to bone. Tendons are somewhat flexible, b...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

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