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Glossary of common knee terms |
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About this pageThis is just a compilation of common, frequently used terms, it is not an exhaustive list of medical or surgical terms. No information found here must under any circumstances be used for medical purposes, diagnostically, therapeutically or otherwise. Please note this page is under constant review; more terms will be added in due course. If you are interested in a more detailed list of orthopaedic terms,
please visit Prof. Chris Colton's website. Medcyclopaedia™ 2008 is a unique combination of a scientific library and a handy toolbox on the internet. In addition to the complete on-line edition of The Encyclopaedia of Medical Imaging, which comprises more than 18,000 thoroughly explained key words accompanied by more than 10,000 illustrations, this web site holds complete medical imaging text books, GE Healthcare’s Expanded Medical Imaging Glossary, clinical cases for training purposes, as well as content from other highly reputed sources. The site serves as an invaluable source of information for clinicians, radiographers (technicians), pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, and other paramedical health care professionals. It is also a useful reference work for medical physicists, hospital managers, medical suppliers and medical publishers. MediLexicon: Search through Medical Abrevations, Dictionary and Terminology with this useful medical dictionary Abduction: movement of a limb away from the midline ACL: anterior cruciate ligament ACI: autologous chondrocyte implantation (same as ACT) ACT: autologous chondrocyte transplantation (same as ACI) Adduction: movement of a limb towards the midline Allograft: graft of tissue from another individual of the same species, who is genetically different from the recipient. Anterior: the front aspect of the body in the anatomical position Artefact (or artifact): lines, spots, blurring etc. of a picture obscuring details and/or showing things that "are not really there". Some artefacts may be caused by movement (just like any picture where someone moves) or by shadow effects, reflections etc. Artrography: special X-ray or MRI examination of joints. Depending on the size of the joint cavity, a small volume of low concentration contrast medium is injected, after which the images are taken. Atrophic: degenerate tissue caused by loss of cells Autologous: own Avascular: without blood supply Avulsion: pulling off (usually ligament) Baker's Cyst: a collection of synovial fluid behind the knee joint
Cartilage: articular cartilage (misnomer for meniscus) Chondrocyte: cartilage cell Chondral: articular cartilage Dislocation: out of joint (patella, more often than the knee itself) Distal: away from the center of the body
Effusion: swelling ECM: extra-cellular matrix (the bulk of articular cartilage) Extensor mechanism: quadriceps tendon, patella and patella tendon
Femur: thighbone
Haemarthrosis: bleeding into the joint
Ischemia: insufficient blood supply Interference Screw: fixation device (usually resorbable) for ACL graft
Lateral: outer side Laxity: looseness LCL: lateral collateral ligament
Matrix: tissue scaffold MCL: medial collateral ligament Medial: inner side Meniscus: semilunar Microfracture: articular cartilage repair technique MosaicPlasty: articular cartilage repair technique utilising multiple small autologuous osteochondral plugs MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
OAT: osteochondral autograft transfer OATS: Osteochondral Autograft Transfer System Oedema (or edema): an accumulation of an excessive amount of watery fluid in cells, tissues or cavities Osteochondral: bone and cartilage Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD): separation of cartilage with bone fragment, usually from femoral condyles
Patella: kneecap Patella Alta: high-riding kneecap Patella Infera (or Baja): low-riding kneecap Patellofemoral Joint (PFJ): joint between patella and femoral trochlea PCL: posterior cruciate ligament PKR: partial knee replacement PLC: postero-lateral corner Posterior: behind Popliteal fossa: the back part of the knee joint Proprioception: sense of balance and spatial orientation PVNS: pigmented villonodular synovitis
Quadriceps muscles: thigh muscles
Retropatellar: behind the kneecap (usually refers to articulating surface) ROM: range of movement
Seroma: a collection of serous fluid under the suture line SLR: straight leg raise Subchondral: under the articulating cartilage Subluxation: out of place (usually refers to patella) Synovial fluid: joint fluid
Tendinitis: inflammation of the tendon Tendinosis: chronic tendinopathy or chronic tendon injury Trochlea: the joint space at the front end of the femur (articulates with patella) TKR: total knee replacement Tibia: shinbone
UKR: unicondylar knee replacement (same as partial knee replacement) USS: ultrasound scan Varus: inward angulation of the knee joint Valgus: outward angulation of the knee joint VMO: vastus medalis obliqus (the inner lower part of quadriceps muscle)
Site last updated on: 16 Oct 2008
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