C
CADAVER - A term generally applied to a dead human
body preserved for anatomical study.
CADAVERIC - a tissue or organ transplanted from a cadaver
(deceased donor)
CALLAHAN - Individual wire fixation of a strut bone
graft to involved facets.
CALLOSUM - The great commisure of the brain between
the cerebral hemispheres.
CAMPTOCORMIA - Severe forward flexion of upper torso,
usually an excessive psychologic reaction to back pain.
CANCELLOUS BONE - The spongy or honeycomb structure
of some bone tissue typically found at the ends of long
bones.
CAPNER - Draining of thoracic spinal abscess through
an anterolateral approach.
CARCINOMA - Cancer, a malignant growth of epithelial
or gland cells.
CAROTID ARTERY - Large artery on either side of the
neck which supplies blood to most of the cerebral hemisphere.
Main artery to the head that divides into external and
internal carotid arteries.
CAROTID SINUS - Slight dilatation on the common carotid
artery at its bifurcation containing nerve cells sensitive
to blood pressure. Stimulation can cause slowing of
the heart, vasodilatation and a fall in blood pressure.
CAROTID TUBERCLE - Prominence of the transverse process
of C-6 felt on the lateral side of the neck.
CARPAL TUNNEL - Space under a ligament in wrist through
which the median nerve enters the palm of the hand.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME - A condition caused by compression
of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, characterized
especially by discomfort and disturbances of sensation
in the hand.
CARRIER a material or device used to deliver a therapy
to a site in or on the body.
CARTILAGE - The hard, thin layer of white glossy tissue
that covers the end of bone at a joint. This tissue
allows motion to take place with a minimum amount of
friction.
CARTILAGE SPACE NARROWING - Narrowing of any cartilage
space; also called disc space narrowing.
CATHETER - A small tube used to inject a dye to see
the blood vessels, similar to that used for looking
at vessels in the heart.
CAUDA EQUINA - The bundle of spinal nerve roots arising
from the end of the spinal cord and filling the lower
part of the spinal canal(from approximately the thoraco-lumbar
junction down).
CAUDA EQUINA SYNDROME - Sufficient pressure on the
nerves in the low back to produce multiple nerve root
irritation and commonly loss of bowel and bladder control.
CAUDATE NUCLEUS - Part of the basal ganglia which are
brain cells that lie deep in the brain.
CADAVERIC - a tissue or organ transplanted from a cadaver
(deceased donor).
CARRIER - a material or device used to deliver a therapy
to a site in or on the body.
CENTRAL CORD SYNDROME - Most common of the incomplete
traumatic spinal cord syndromes characterized by motor
impairment that is proportionately greater in the upper
limbs than in the lower, with bladder dysfunction and
a variable degree of sensory loss below the level of
the cord lesion.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM - Part of the nervous system
which consists of the brain and spinal cord, to which
sensory impulses are transmitted and from which motor
impulses pass out, and which supervises and coordinates
the activity of the entire nervous system.
CENTRUM - The body of a vertebra.
CEREBELLUM - The lower part of the brain which is beneath
the posterior portion of the cerebrum and regulates
unconscious coordination of movement.
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) - Water-like fluid produced
in the brain that circulates around and protects the
brain and spinal cord. Shrinking or expanding of the
cranial contents is usually quickly balanced by increase
or decrease of this fluid.
CEREBRAL - Relating to the brain or intellect.
CEREBRALl CORTEX - Surface layer of gray matter of
the cerebrum that functions chiefly in coordination
of higher nervous activity; called also pallium.
CEREBRAL PALSY - Disability resulting from damage to
the brain before or during birth and outwardly manifested
by muscular incoordination and speech disturbances.
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID - Water-like fluid produced in
the brain that circulates and protects the brain and
spinal cord, known as CSF.
CEREBRUM - The principal portion of the brain, which
occupies the major portion of the interior of the skull
and controls conscious movement, sensation and thought.
CERVICAL - Of or relating to the neck.
CERVICAL PLEXUS - Plexus of nerves that supply the
neck muscles with branches named by muscles supplied,
a portion which is called the ansa cervicalis.
CERVICAL RIB - Riblike structure in the seventh cervical
vertebra that may cause nerve root irritation.
CERVICAL SPINAL FUSION - Spinal fusion involving the
seven cervical segments. This may include the base of
the skull, the occiput, and the first thoracic spine.
CHEMONUCLEOLYSIS - A treatment of an intervertebral
disc that consists of an injection of chymopapain, a
drug that dissolves part of the disc.
CHIASM (OPTIC) - Crossing of visual fibers as they
head toward the opposite side of the brain. For each
optic nerve most of the visual fibers cross to the opposite
side, some run directly backward on each side without
crossing.
CHOREA - A disorder, usually of childhood, characterized
by irregular, spasmodic involuntary movements of the
limbs or facial muscles.
CHOROID PLEXUS - A vascular structure in the ventricles
of the brain which produces cerebrospinal fluid.
CINGULATE GYRUS - A long, curved convolution of the
medial surface of the cortical hemisphere.
CINGULOTOMY - Electronic destruction of the anterior
cingulate gyrus and callosum.
CLINICAL STUDIES - A process of strictly controlled
evaluations involving patients. Some of these studies
are required by the FDA prior to general release of
a device or compound for use in humans.
COAGULATION - The process of clotting.
COBALT-CHROME - A term that is used in referring to
cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy, a mixture of metals
used in many surgical implants.
COCCYALGIA - Pain in the coccyx region5 coccygodynia,
coccyodynia, coccydynia.
COCCYGEAL - Remaining three or four, somewhat fixed,
fused segments at the end of the spine (tailbone) that
articulate with sacrum above.
COCCYGECTOMY - Excision of the coccyx (tailbone).
COCCYGOTOMY - Incision into the coccyx (tailbone).
COCCYX - The small bone at the end of the spinal column
in man, formed by the fusion of four rudimentary vertebrae.
The three, and sometimes four, segments of bone just
below the sacrum; referred to as the tailbone.
COLLAGEN - A fibrous protein which is a major constituent
of connective tissue. Such as skin, tendons, ligaments,
cartilage, and bones.
COLLAR - A band, usually denoting one encircling the
neck.
COMA - A state of profound unconsciousness from which
one cannot be roused.
COMBINED STENOSIS - For congenital or developmental
reasons, the midsagittal diameter is decreased.
COMMINUTED FRACTURE - A fracture in which a bone is
broken into more than two pieces. Often internal or
external fixation devices are used to maintain proper
alignment of the fragments.
COMMISSURAL MYELORRHAPY - A longitudinal division of
the spinal cord to sever crossing fibers.
COMPENSATORY CURVE - A curve located above or below
a rigid structural curve to maintain normal overall
body alignment.
COMPRESSION - A squeezing together; the exertion of
pressure on a body in such a way as to tend to increase
its density; the decrease in a dimension of a body under
the action of two external forces directed toward one
another in the same straight line.
COMPRESSION of NERVE ROOT - Mechanical process resulting
from a tumor, fracture, or herniated disc; the resulting
irritation is called radiculitis if there is actual
inflammation around the nerve. Pain from this type of
disorder is called radicular pain.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCAN - A diagnostic imaging
technique in which a computer reads x-rays to create
a three-dimensional map of soft tissue or bone.
CONCUSSION - A disruption, usually temporary, of neurological
function resulting from a blow or violent shaking.
CONGENITAL SCOLIOSIS - Scoliosis due to bony abnormalities
present at birth involving either failure of formation
of a vertebra or separation of adjacent vertebrae.
CONSTITUTIONAL STENOSIS - Normal-statured individuals
with congenital variance in vertebral structure leading
to a narrow canal.
CONTRACT - To shorten; to become reduced in size; in
the case of muscle, either to shorten or to undergo
an increase in tension.
CONTRAST MEDIUM - Any material (usually opaque to x-rays)
employed to delineate or define a structure during a
radiologic procedure.
CONTUSION - A bruise; an area in which blood that has
leaked out of blood vessels is mixed with brain tissue.
CORDOTOMY - Transverse incision into the spinal cord.
CORONAL SUTURE - The line of junction of the frontal
bones and the parietal bones of the skull.
CORPECTOMY - Excision of vertebral body usually combined
with interpostion of prosthesis or bone graft.
CORPUS CALLOSUM - The greatest commissure of the brain
between the cerebral hemispheres.
CORTEX - The external layer of gray matter covering
the hemispheres of the cerebrum and cerebellum.
CORTICAL - Pertaining to the cortex.
CORTICAL BONE - The dense bone that forms the outer
surface of bone.
COSTO - Combining form denoting relation to ribs.
COSTOCHONDRAL JUNCTION - junction of the rib into cartilage
in the anterior chest. NOTE: Most of the ribs have attachment
to the cartilage rather than a direct junction with
the breast bone.
COSTOVERTEBRAL ANGLE - Juncture of tissue inferior
and lateral to the twelfth rib and vertebral body.
COSTOVERTEBRAL JOINT - Junction of the rib with the
thoracic spine.
COTREL-DUBOUSSET - Posterior fixation device for spinal
deformity, fracture, tumor, and degenerative conditions.
CRAMP - A painful muscle spasm caused by prolonged
tetanic contraction.
CRANIUM - The part of the skull that holds the brain.
CRANIECTOMY - Opening of skull and removal of a portion
of it.
CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA - Congenital tumor arising from the
embryonic duct between the brain and pharynx.
CRANIOPLASTY - The operative repair of a defect of
the skull.
CRANIOSTENOSIS - Premature closure of cranial sutures,
limiting or distorting the growth of the skull.
CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS - Premature closure of cranial sutures,
limiting or distorting the growth of the skull.
CRANIOTOMY - Opening of the skull, usually by creating
a flap of bone.
CRANKSHAFT PHENOMENON - Progressions of a spinal curve
due to continued growth of the unfused anterior aspect
of the spine following a posterior spine fusion for
scoliosis in children.
CRICOID RING - Cartilage ring above the trachea and
below the thyroid cartilage, the first cricoid ring
is at the level of C-6.
CSF - Cerebrospinal Fluid.
CSF SHUNT - A bypass or diversion of accumulations
of cerebrospinal fluid to an absorbing or excreting
system.
CT SCAN - (computed tomography scan): A diagnostic
imaging technique in which a computer reads x-rays to
create a three-dimensional map of soft tissue or bone.
CYTOLOGY - Study of cells.
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