Definitions L-Z

Lateral—away from the midline of the body.

Ligamentous Laxity—loose joints.

Lumbar Lordosis—the forward bending of the lower spine. Also called sway back.

Lumbar Spine—relating to the vertebrae found in the lower back.

Macrocephaly- abnormally large head size.

Medial—towards the midline of the body.

Mesomelia—shortening of the middle parts of the limbs (forearm and foreleg) in relation to the upper and terminal segments.

Metacarpals- The bones of the hand located between the fingers and wrist

Metaphyseal—of or relating to the metaphysis.

Metaphysis—the widening region of the long bone in which the epiphysis and diaphysis meet.

Microcephaly - a small head.

Micrognathism- a small jaw.

Micromelia—a symmetric shortness of the limbs.

Mosaicism- phenomenon in which genetically different tissues occur in the same organism.

Mutation- when the sequence of the nucleotides of DNA is incorrect, possibly due to a deletion or repeat of a certain nucleotide base. The result is a defect in the protein for which the gene encodes. In other words, there is a change in the recipe for a certain protein that causes a problem in the final product.

Myelopathy- Disturbance of the spinal cord.

Obstructive Apnea- temporary cessation of breathing due to the blockage of airflow into and out of the lungs with normal respiratory drive.

Odontoid Process—normal bony peg of the second cervical vertebrae that allows the neck to rotate.

Ossification—process by which cartilage calcifies and changes into bone.

Osteotomy—surgical cutting of bone as a realignment procedure.

Patent - open.

Pavlik harness- a soft brace with straps worn to maintain the hip joint in the correct position.

Pectus Carinatum- "Pigeon Chest" due to a protruding sternum.

Phalanges- bones of the fingers.

Philtrum - space between the upper lip and nose.

Platyspondyly- Flatness of the vertebral bodies.

Polydactyly- having extra fingers or toes.

Posterior- relating to the back of the body.

Proximal—on the limb in the direction toward the body.

Rhizomelia—shortening of the upper parts of the limbs (upper arm and thigh) in relation to the middle and terminal segments.

Scoliosis—a curvature or lateral deviation of the normally straight vertical line of the spine.

Spondylo—of or relating to the spine.

Stenosis—narrowing or stricture of a passageway such as the windpipe or spine.

Subluxation- abnormal bone movement within a joint; similar to a dislocation.

Symphalangism - fusing together of the finger joints.

Thoraco-lumbar Kyphosis (TLK)—a forward bending of the spine occurring in the middle and lower back.

Thoracic Spine—relating to the vertebrae found at the level of the ribs and chest.

Thorax-area of the body between the neck and lower rib cage.

Tibia- the inner and wider bone of the two bones connecting the knee and ankle.

Trachea - the tube through which inhaled air will flow on its way to the lungs.

Tracheobronchial tree- The structure within the chest consisting of the trachea and branching bronchi; its shape is likened to an up-side-down tree.

Tracheostomy- a surgical procedure in which an opening is made in the trachea in the region of the neck in order to create an airway.

Ventilation - a state in which a mechanical piece of equipment is used to breath for a patient. The machine is connected to a tracheostomy tube.

X-linked— when a condition is caused by having a single mutant copy of a particular gene and that gene is located on the X chromosome.