Medical dictionary

What is ankle tendonitis?   Tendonitis involves an inflammation of the tendon. Ankle tendonitis, then, can simply be defined as an inflammation of the tendons of the ankle. Tendons attach the muscles to the bones in your body and help you to move, as well as acting as an important shock absorber.   Tendons can be injured in a number of ways. There are

What is ankylosing spondylitis? Ankylosing spondylitis is also known by the names spondylitis and rheumatoid spondylitis. It is an inflammatory joint disease of the spine and the sacroiliac, which is found at the junction of the pelvis to the spine. Sometimes, the condition can cause some of the bones of the spine (vertebrae) to fuse together, which can make the spine less f

What is the anterior cruciate ligament?The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a bundle of collagen fibres that extends obliquely between the femur and the tibia. It inserts into the knee joint and, although small in size, it has a very important function. The anterior cruciate ligament (front) and the posterior cruciate ligament (back) cross each other forming an "X".  Function of the a

What is an anterior hip replacement? All hip replacement surgeries remove the damaged hip joint to replace it with prosthetic components to improve the hip’s function. Hip replacements can differ in the surgical procedure. An anterior hip replacement replaces the worn-out joint, removing the diseased joint and bone and inserting a new ball and socket joint. The anterior approa

What is arthritis, and what are the most common types?   Arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation of the membrane that covers the joints. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, but the most common are: Osteoarthritis: The most common type of arthritis. It usually develops with age, and affects the fingers, knees, and hips. In some cases, it develops in a

What is arthroplasty? The term arthroplasty refers to any surgical procedure to restore the function of a damaged joint, often by replacing them with artificial joints made of chromium, cobalt and titanium, along with high density plastics. The ultimate aim of arthroplasty is to correct deformities, reduce or eliminate pain in the affected areas, and restore mobility. Arthroplasty

What is arthroscopic debridement?Arthroscopic debridement is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove broken and damaged sections of joint cartilage to help improve mobility and reduce pain.It is often used to treat cases of arthritis or instability of the wrist, knee, hip or ankle joints.  What is arthroscopic debridement used to treat?Arthroscopic debridement, also known as arthro

What is an arthroscopic meniscectomy? An arthroscopic meniscectomy is a minimally-invasive procedure where some or all of a damaged meniscus is removed from the knee joint, specifically the tibio-femoral joint. This can help to improve mobility and patient quality of life by relieving symptoms a torn meniscus can bring.     Why might someone need an arthroscopic meniscect

What is arthroscopic subacromial decompression? Arthroscopic subacromial decompression is a type of shoulder operation that aims to treat shoulder impingement. Shoulder impingement is a very common cause of shoulder pain and results from when tendons and bones in the shoulder rub against each other on raising your arm. Subacromial decompression is a day-case procedure, so you won't have t