Chondromalacia Patella Glossary of Terms

1. Take the Pain Quiz
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis Joint-Friendly Exercises Slideshow
3. Slideshow: Osteoarthritis - Exercises for OA of the Knee

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

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

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

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

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

Chondromalacia: : Abnormal softening or degeneration of cartilage. See also patellofemoral...

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

Conditioning: 1) Exercise and practice to build the body up for either improved normal pe...

Contraction: The tightening and shortening of a muscle.

Crepitus: A clinical sign in medicine that is characterized by a peculiar crackling, crink...

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

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

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

Flutter: Flutter is a rapid vibration or pulsation. The difference between flutter and fib...

Hamstring: One of the prominent tendons at the back of the knee. The hamstrings are the si...

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

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...

Knee joint: The knee joint has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the large sh...

Kneecap: The patella, the small bone in the front of the knee. The patella is a little (se...

Lateral: 1. In anatomy, the side of the body or a body part that is farther from th...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

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

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

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

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

Patella: The kneecap by another name, the patella is the small bone that is in the front ...

Patellar: Pertaining to the patella (kneecap).

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

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Quadriceps: Although the term "quadriceps" technically may refer to any four-headed muscle...

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

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

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

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

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...

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