Glossary
- ABBOTT METHOD
- For scoliosis of the spine; traction is applied to produce overcorrection, followed by casting.
- ABDOMINAL MUSCLES
- Important for support of the spine, these muscles are the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus.
- ABDUCTION
- Movement away from midline of body in frontal plane; applied to hip, shoulder, fingers, thumb, and foot.
- ABRASION
- Any superficial scraping of skin tissue or mucous membrane mechanically or through injury.
- ABSCESS
- Localized collection of pus in a cavity which may form in any tissue.
- ACHONDROPLASTIC STENOSIS
- Increased vertebral thickness, marked concavity of the vertebral body, and shortened pedicles.
- ACOUSTIC NEURINOMAS
- Benign tumor of the hearing nerve (eighth nerve). A progressively enlarging, benign tumor, usually within the internal auditory canal or hearing nerve.
- ACROMEGALY
- Disorder marked by progressive enlargement of the head, face, hands, feet, and thorax, due to the excessive secretion of growth hormone.
- ACTION TREMOR
- A type of tremor that occurs during voluntary movements, such as lifting a cup to one's mouth.
- ACTIVA TREMOR CONTROL THERAPY
- The therapy uses an implanted device to deliver mild electrical stimulation to block the brain signals that cause tremor. The therapy stimulates the target nuclei in the thalamus via an insulated wire lead with electrodes that are surgically implanted in the brain and connected to a pulse generator that is implanted near the collarbone. The stimulation level can be adjusted to get the most possible tremor control with minimal side effects.
- ACUTE
- Severe, for a short time.
- ADENOCARCINOMA
- Cancer arising from secretory cells, often in a gland. Breast and pancreatic cancers are usually adenocarcinomas.
- ADENOMA
- A benign growth formed of glandular tissue.
- ADOLESCENT SCOLIOSIS
- Lateral curvature of the spine occurring during adolescence.
- ADULT SCOLIOSIS
- Scoliosis occuring after skeletal maturity.
- AEBI, ETTER, AND COSICA
- Anterior approach to inferior C-2 to fractured dens with screws.
- AEDs
- Antiepileptic drugs.
- AFFERENT NEURON
- Transmitting impulses to the central nervous system.
- AGNOSIA
- Absence of the ability to recognize the form and nature of persons and things.
- AGRAPHIA
- Loss of the power of writing due either to muscular incoordination or to an inability to phrase thought.
- ALAR DYSGENESIS
- Abnormality in development of the sacroiliac joint.
- ALBEE
- Fusion of the spine using grafts across the spinous processes in spondylolisthesis.
- ALLOGRAFT BONE
- Sterile bone derived from another human which is used for grafting procedures.
- AMAUROSIS
- Loss of vision without discoverable lesion in the eye structures or optic nerve. Amaurosis fugax - temporary blindness occurring in short periods.
- AMENORRHEA
- Absence of the menses due to causes other than pregnancy or advancing age.
- AMNESIA
- Loss of memory caused by brain damage or by severe emotional trauma.
- ANALGESIA
- Loss of sensibility to pain, loss of response to a painful stimulus.
- ANAPLASIA
- In the case of a body cell, a reversion to a more primitive condition. A term used to denote the alteration in cell character which constitutes malignancy.
- ANASTOMOSIS
- A communication, direct or indirect: A joining together. In the nervous system a jointing of nerves or blood vessels.
- ANENCEPHALY
- Absence of the greater part of the brain, often with skull deformity.
