Orthopaedics · Musculoskeletal System · Medium

Orthosis

Meaning: An externally applied brace or device used to support, align or correct a part of the body.

In practice: An ankle-foot orthosis helped control his foot drop after the stroke.

Word parts

Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.

Two questions on related orthopaedics words.

Which word means: The shorter bone of the forearm on the thumb side.

Which word means: Inflammation or degeneration of a connective tissue sheet, most commonly the thick band in the sole of the foot.

One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.