Plain language
The words doctors use, explained
Reports and consultations are full of words that nobody translates. Here are the ones that come up most, each in a sentence or two, with a link to where it matters.
A
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)
- One of two ligaments that cross inside the knee and stop the shin bone sliding forward. Torn most often in twisting sports injuries; the knee then feels unstable when turning. Read more
- Arthritis
- Wear or inflammation of a joint. Osteoarthritis (wear) is by far the most common kind; rheumatoid and other inflammatory types are different diseases with different treatment. Read more
- Arthroplasty
- The medical word for joint replacement — resurfacing a worn joint with an implant. "Total knee arthroplasty" and "total knee replacement" mean the same thing. Read more
- Arthroscopy
- Keyhole surgery. A pencil-thin camera goes into the joint through a small cut, and instruments through another, so repairs can be done without opening the joint. Read more
- Avascular necrosis (AVN)
- Death of a segment of bone because its blood supply fails, most often the ball of the hip. Causes hip pain in younger adults and needs early diagnosis, usually by MRI. Read more
B
- Bursitis
- Inflammation of a bursa — a small fluid-filled cushion between tendon and bone. Common at the outer hip, the shoulder, the elbow and the front of the knee. Read more
C
- Cartilage
- The smooth, glassy layer that caps the ends of bones inside a joint so they glide. It has no nerves and very little blood supply, which is why it wears rather than heals. Read more
D
- DAA (DAA)
- A way into the hip joint from the front, between the muscles rather than through them. Used for hip replacement at this practice; no muscle is detached, so recovery is quicker and fewer positions are off-limits. Read more
- DEXA scan
- A quick, low-dose X-ray scan that measures bone density. It is how osteoporosis is diagnosed and how treatment is monitored. Read more
F
- Fracture
- A broken bone — the words mean the same thing. Fractures are described by pattern (transverse, spiral, comminuted…), by whether the skin is broken (open or closed), and by whether the pieces have moved (displaced). Read more
- Frozen shoulder
- Adhesive capsulitis: the capsule around the shoulder joint inflames and tightens, causing pain and then marked stiffness. It runs a long course of freezing, frozen and thawing stages. Read more
I
- Impingement
- Pinching of the rotator cuff tendons under the bony roof of the shoulder when the arm is raised. A common cause of shoulder pain reaching overhead or behind the back. Read more
L
- Ligament
- A strong band of tissue joining bone to bone and holding a joint stable. A "sprain" is a ligament injury. Read more
M
- Meniscus
- One of two C-shaped cushions of cartilage between the thigh bone and shin bone in each knee. A torn meniscus causes joint-line pain, catching and sometimes locking. Read more
- MRI
- A scan that uses magnets rather than radiation and shows soft tissue — ligaments, menisci, tendons, cartilage — that an X-ray cannot. Useful when a soft-tissue injury is suspected; not needed for every ache. Read more
O
- Orthopaedics
- The branch of medicine and surgery that deals with bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles — from fractures and sports injuries to arthritis and joint replacement. Read more
- Osteoarthritis
- The common "wear" form of arthritis, in which joint cartilage thins and the bone beneath reacts. Pain, stiffness after rest and reduced movement, most often in knees, hips, hands and spine. Read more
- Osteoporosis
- Bone that has become thin and fragile enough to break from a minor fall. Silent until it causes a fracture; diagnosed by DEXA scan; treatable. Read more
P
- Physiotherapy
- Treatment through exercise, movement and hands-on techniques. In orthopaedics it is often the main treatment, not an add-on, and it decides much of the result after surgery. Read more
- Prosthesis / implant
- The artificial parts used in a joint replacement — typically metal components with a smooth plastic bearing between them. Read more
R
- Referred pain
- Pain felt in one place but caused in another. The lower back commonly refers pain to the buttock and thigh; the hip refers pain to the knee. Read more
- Rehabilitation
- The structured programme of exercise and graded activity after an injury or operation. Its quality and consistency largely decide the outcome. Read more
- Robotic-assisted surgery
- Joint replacement in which a robotic arm helps the surgeon position the implant precisely to a plan made from the patient’s own scan. The surgeon still performs the operation. Read more
- Rotator cuff
- The group of four tendons that wrap around the shoulder and lift and rotate the arm. Cuff tendon pain and tears are the commonest cause of shoulder pain in adults. Read more
S
- Sprain and strain
- A sprain is a ligament injury; a strain is a muscle or tendon injury. Both are graded from mild stretching to complete tearing. Read more
- Synovial fluid
- The thin lubricating fluid inside a joint, made by the joint lining (synovium). Swelling in a joint is usually extra synovial fluid or, after an injury, blood. Read more
T
- Tendon and tendinopathy
- A tendon joins muscle to bone. Tendinopathy is a painful, overloaded tendon — common at the shoulder, elbow, outer hip, knee and Achilles — treated mainly with graded loading exercises. Read more
X
- X-ray
- The basic bone picture. Shows fractures, alignment and how much joint space is left in arthritis. Quick, cheap, and usually the first and only imaging needed. Read more
A word on your report you cannot find here?
Bring the report to the consultation. Explaining what it means is part of the job.