Glossary

Abduction	move away from midline
Adduction	move toward midline
Amelia	absence of an extremity
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)	neurological disease affecting the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, resulting in progressive motor weakness, muscle loss and death
Ankle foot orthosis (AFO)	brace worn on the lower leg to support the foot and ankle
Ankylosing Spondylitis	form of arthritis affecting the spine; if severe the vertebrae can fuse together
Anterior	situated to the front
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome	pinching of median nerve in the wrist causing numbness and tingling to wrist, hand and fingers
Cerebral Palsy	weakness or paralysis of muscles due to abnormal brain development before, during or immediately after birth
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/Stroke	brain injury due to an interruption of blood flow - may result in hemiparesis (loss of movement to one side of the body)
Cervical	refers to the neck
Charcot foot	foot deformity as a result of neuropathy (nerve damage) to the foot or ankle
Charcot Marie Tooth Disease	inherited disorder affecting the peripheral nerves and resulting in weakness primarily to the upper and lower limbs
Chronic	permanent, long lasting (generally longer than 6 months)
Club foot	congenital foot deformity resulting in a baby's foot being rotated inward
Compliance	how accurately and consistently a patient follows the clinician's guidance
Congenital disorder	condition that is present at birth
Coxa	hip
Developmental/Congenital Dysplasia of the hip	malformation of hip joint in babies and children causing it to dislocate easily
Diabetes	a metabolic disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not respond adequately to insulin
Disc herniation/prolapse	when the jelly-like cushioning located between two vertebrae is ruptured causing pain due to nerve irritation
Dislocation	separation of two connected bones at a joint
Distal	positioned further from the body; the fingers are distal to the wrist
Don	to put on
Doff	to take off
Dorsal	on the back
Dorsiflexion	flexing the foot in an upwards motion; toes towards shin
Drop foot	muscle weakness affecting the dorsiflexors resulting in the foot and toes dragging while walking
Dysmelia	congenital malformation of an extremity
Epicondylitis	inflammation of the epicondyles of the humerus (tennis elbow, golfer's elbow)
Eversion	rotation of heel away from midline
Femur	thigh-bone
Fibular	lateral(outside) bone of the lower leg
Foot Orthosis	an insert worn inside a shoe to support the foot
Gait cycle	the walking cycle; a series of phases with various muscle actions throughout
Genu	knee
Guillain Barre Syndrome	disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system
Hallux	Big Toe
Hallux rigidus	mild to moderate arthritis in the big toe
Hyperextension	extension of a body part beyond its normal range of motion
Inferior	Situated below
Inversion	intorsion (generally refers to the ankle -moving soles of feet toward each other)
Jumper's knee	an inflammation of the patellar tendon which connects the patella (knee cap) to the tibia (shin); also called patellar tendonitis
Kyphosis	hump back, opposite of lordosis
Lateral	situated to the side, outside of
Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)	overuse condition of the elbow causing discomfort to the outside of the forearm
Lordosis	hollow back, opposite of kyphosis
Lumbar	lower back, between ribs and hips
Malleolus	ankle bonesdistal prominence of the tibia and fibula
Medial	situated to the middle (inside), inside of
Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer's Elbow)	overuse condition of the elbow causing discomfort to the inside of the forearm
Metatarsal	the five long bones at the ball of the foot that connect to the toes
Metatarsalgia	inflammation and pain at the ball of the foot
Multiple Sclerosis	disease affecting the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) resulting in progressive muscle weakness
Non-ambulatory	unable to walk
Osteoarthritis	degenerative joint disease or wearing down of the joints
Osteogenesis imperfecta	rare genetic condition causing weak bones that break easily
Osteoporosis	weakening of bones typically occurring as one ages
Paraplegia	partial or complete paralysis to the lower extremities
Peripheral Neuropathy	damage to the peripheral nerves, often resulting in burning, numbness or pain to the hands and feet
Peroneal nerve injury	branch of sciatic nerve that innervates the muscles that dorsiflex and evert the foot; leading to drop foot
Plantar	refers to the sole of the foot
Plantar Fasciitis	inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot, running from the heel bone to the toes and typically causing pain in the heel
Plantarflexion	extending the foot in a downward motion; pointing toes towards ground
Posterior	situated to the rear, behind
Pronation	an internal rotation or excessive use of the inner side; refers to the foot or hand
Proximal	close to the body
Residual Limb	the remaining portion of persons arm or leg
Rotator Cuff	group of 4 muscles of the shoulder that act to stabilize and move the shoulder joint
Scoliosis	lateral curvature of the spine
Sever's Disease	inflammation of the growth plate in the heel, causing heel pain and typically affecting kids during a growth spurt
Shrinker	a sock that applies compression on a residual limb to reduce swelling, typically worn by new amputees
Socket	connects your residual limb to the prosthesis
Subluxation	partial separation of two connected bones at a joint
Superior	situated toward the top/upper side
Supination	an external rotation or excessive use of the outer side, refers to the foot or hand
Talus	ankle bone, articulates with tibia/fibula
Tendon	connective tissue that act to connect muscles to bones
Tendonitis	inflammation of a tendon usually due to overuse
Tibia	medial(inside) bone of lower leg, lower bone of knee joint
Tibialis Posterior Dysfunction	loss of support to the arch of the foot due to an inflammation or tear of the posterior tibial tendon
Valgus	joint angled toward midline (ie. knock-kneed)
Varus	joint angled away from midline (ie. bow-legged)