When your child is diagnosed with a disorder affecting the spine or skeletal system, you may come across medical terms you’re not familiar with.
Some of the most common words you may hear include the following:
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Acquired – a condition developed over time
- Arthroscopic surgery – minimally invasive surgical technique often used on knees; surgeon makes two or more tiny incisions rather than one long incision
- Congenital – a condition present at birth
- CT Scan – a computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-rays to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. A CT scan is also known as a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan. This test is used to find out what is going on inside the body
- Dysplasia – unusual or abnormal tissue development
- Scoliosis – a lateral curvature of the spine plus rotation of the vertebrae within the curve
- Kyphosis – extreme or excessive curvature of the spine
- Musculoskeletal – involving the muscles and skeleton
- MRI – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to create pictures of structures inside the body. MRI tests can provide information that can’t be seen on an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan. MRI is sometimes used to find tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel problems or infection
- Neuromuscular – involving the nerves and muscles
- Orthopedic – branch of medicine involving the prevention or correction of skeletal deformities, disorders or injuries; also known as orthopedic
- X-ray – a form of radiation that can be focused into a beam and passed through the body. When X-rays strike a piece of photographic film, they produce a picture. This test is often used to look at bones