Movement of a limb away from the midline of the body. Opposite of Adduction.

This tendon, at the back of the lower leg, attaches the calf muscles (gastrocnemius & soleus) to the heel bone (calcaneus).

An injury having a sudden rapid onset – trauma. Opposite of Chronic.

Movement of a limb towards the midline of the body. Opposite of Abduction.

A term denoting a muscle in a state of contraction, with reference to its opposing muscle, or antagonist. Agonist muscles are also called prime movers.

A muscle opposing or resisting the action of another. Opposite of Agonist.

Directed toward the front of the body. Opposite of Posterior.

A joint. It is a joining or connecting together loosely, so as to allow motion between the parts.

A condition arising in the muscle when it has been cut off from its nerve supply or forced by injury to become inactive or immobilized. Opposite of Hypertrophy.

A forcible tearing away of a part or structure.

The region also known as the armpit.

A type of joint wherein the ball-like head of one bone fits into the socket of another, permitting greatest range of motion (i.e. shoulder & hip).

Relating to 2 sides; pertaining to or affecting both sides of the body.

The largest of the tarsal bones (heel bone), it forms the heel and articulates with the cuboid anteriorly and the talus above.

The 8 bones of the hand, which articulate with the radius & ulna at the proximal end and the metacarpals distally. Mostcommonly known carpal = Scaphoid.

A gristly, white, nonvascular connective tissue, which serves as a smooth surface (shock absorption) between 2 bones (i.e. meniscus in the knee joint, intervertebral discs of the spine) and acts as a frame for soft tissue (i.e. trachea). Articular cartilage protects the ends of bones from bone degeneration (osteoarthritis).

A tracking abnormality of the patella, which cause the undersurface of the patella to become rough. More commonly referred to as Patellofemoral Syndrome.

A term to describe an injury, which persists over a long period of time(usually over 3 weeks), as in an acute injury, which has never properly healed and becomes chronic, or as a result of an overuse injury. Opposite of Acute.

The collarbone, curved like the letter “S”, articulates with the sternum (breast bone) and the scapula (shoulder blade).

The two ligaments (medial & lateral collateral) joining the femur to the tibia to stabilize the side-to-side movement of the knee. Collateral ligaments are also located at the metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the thumb, i.e.) ulnar collateral ligament.

Denoting a type of fracture in which in the bone is broken into several pieces.

An isotonic contraction in which the length of the muscle decreases.

A rounded knob-like prominence at the end of a bone by means of which it articulates with another bone (i.e. humeral or femoral condyles).

A static muscle shortening due to tonic spasm or fibrosis of muscle or supporting tissues resulting from paralysis or ischemia. Contracture in Latin means, “to draw together”.

A bruise of the soft tissue (muscles), usually caused by a direct blow (trauma), which does not result in a break of the skin (i.e. quad contusion).

A grating sound produced by the contact or rubbing bone or irregular cartilage surfaces together as by movement of patella against the femoral condyles in arthritis and other conditions.

The 2 ligaments (anterior & posterior) that cross inside of the knee joint, to stabilize the knee and control rotation. Anterior Cruciate attaches to the anterior of the tibia and inserts into the back of the femur.

The displacement of one or more bones of a joint, specifically a disarrangement of the normal relation of the bones entering into the formation of a joint.

A location away from a point of attachment to the body. Opposite of Proximal.

Pertaining to the back of a structure (i.e. dorsal vs palmar hand).

Turning upward of the foot and toes, past 90 degrees.

Tissue discolouration caused by the extravasation “Outside of vessels” of blood.

An isotonic contraction in which the muscle length increases.

An accumulation of an excessive amount of watery fluid in cells and tissues, or generalized throughout the body.

A joint in the upper extremity formed by the humerus (arm), radius and ulna (forearm). This is a true hinge joint.

An outward tilting motion of the ankle joint. Opposite of Inversion.

The act of bringing the distal portion of a joint in continuity with the long axis of the proximal portion (i.e. knee extension-straight leg).

Originating from outside the body, as in extrinsic factors (i.e. body mechanics/ technique, ill-fitting footwear, excessive training).

The long bone of the thigh; longest bone in the body.

The smaller long bone of the lower leg, situated laterally beside the tibia.

The act of bending of a joint so as to approximate the parts it connects (i.e. knee flexion – squatting)

Calf muscle of the lower leg. “Gastr” means belly and “kneme” is the leg.

“Genu” meaning knee, it is the hyperextension of the knee joint, the lower extremity having a forward curve.

A deformity marked by lateral angulation of the leg in relation to the thigh (i.e. knock-knee, tibia valga).

A deformity marked by medial angulation of the leg in relation to the thigh; an outward bowing of the legs (i.e. bow-leg, tibia vara).

A type of joint wherein 2 opposed flat surfaces of bone glide across one another. Joint movement is limited to gliding (i.e. the metacarpal joints & sacroiliac joints).

The linear depression between the abdomen and the thigh, the inguinal region.

The great toe or first digit of the foot. Hallux Rigidus – a condition in which there is stiffness in the 1st MTP joint of the great toe. Hallux Flexus – another term for hammertoe involving the 1st toe. Hallux Valgus – a deviation of the tip of the great toe toward the outer (lateral) side of the foot (bunions). Hallux Varus – a deviation of the main axis to the great toe to the inner side of the foot away from its neighbour, the 2nd toe.

The 3 flexor muscles of the knee and the extensors of the hip, (2 joint muscles) located in the posterior aspect of the thigh. They extend from the ischial tuberosity of the pelvis to approximately the superior medial and lateral aspects of the tibia. Hamstrings = biceps femoris (lateral), semimembranosus & semitendinosus (medial).

A localized mass of blood confined with soft tissue. The blood is usually clotted and may be visible, as a bruise. Complication = Mysositis Ossificans.

A type of joint wherein the “C” shaped surface of on bone swings about the round surface of another. Movement is limited to flexion and extension (i.e. elbow joint, interphalangeal joints).

The long bone of the upper arm. The head of the humerus is part of the shoulder girdle – making up the Glenohumeral joint.

The extension of a limb or part beyond its normal range of motion.

The flexion of a limb or part beyond its normal range of motion.

The wide, upper portion of the pelvis appearing on either side of the sacrum. It is the superior and widest part of the pelvis.

Directed downward, toward the feet. Opposite of Superior.

Tissue reaction to trauma, resulting from physical, chemical or biological agents. The inflamed area undergoes continuous changes as the body repair processes start to heal and replace injured tissue.

Originating from within the body, as in intrinsic factors (i.e. body weight, skeletal alignment, muscle imbalance).

An inward tilting motion of the ankle joint. Opposite of eversion.

Local anemia due to mechanical obstruction, narrowing of blood supply.

The lower portion of the pelvic bone, which you sit on.

A contraction against a controlled maximum resistance throughout the full range of motion.

A type of muscular contraction in which the muscle’s length does not change and no movement occurs.

A type of muscular contraction in which the muscle’s length changes and movement occurs

The portion of connection between 2 or more bones, an articulation.

A system of exercises in which a woman strengthens the muscles of her pelvic diaphragm and pubic area, particularly after childbirth. Also called pubococcygeus exercises.

A position away from the midline of the body, directed toward the side. Opposite of Medial.

A band or sheet of fibrous tissue connecting 2 or more bones, cartilages or other structures (ligaments attach bone to bone, whereas tendons attach bone to muscle).

Pertaining to the lowest freely movable portion of the spine, above the sacrum and below the thoracic region. There are 5 lumbar vertebrae – they are the largest and the heaviest in the spine.

The joint between L5 and S1, this articulation is one of the most susceptible segments of the spine to injury.

A rounded, bony prominence on either side of the ankle, formed by the distal end of the tibia (medial malleolus) and fibula (lateral malleolus) bones. Malleoli is the plural form.

Directed toward the midline of the body. Opposite of Lateral.

A crescent shaped fibrocartilagenous structure that serves to absorb shock between 2 bones (i.e. medial & lateral menisci of the knee).

The 5 slender bones of the hand, between the carpals and phalanges (fingers).

The 5 slender bones of the foot, between the tarsals and phalanges (toes).

It is the soft tissue, which moves the bones about the joints. There are 600 skeletal muscles in the human body.

A bony calcific deposit or ossification (bone formation) in the muscle, due to trauma. It is a complication of a hematoma.

It is a “boat-shaped” medial tarsal bone in the midfoot. Also used, to call the Scaphoid bone of the hand. Common injury to the navicular is a stress fracture due to overloading the bone, as in gymnastics & ballet – activities on toe point.

Pathologic death of one or more cells, or of a portion of tissue resulting from irreversible damage.

An external orthopaedic appliance, as a brace or splint, that prevents or assists movement of the spine or limb. “Orthoses” means making straight. An orthotic device can be an off-the-shelf or custom appliance used to control abnormal movement or prevent further injury, as in foot orthotics. An Orthotist is a fabricator and a fitter of custom orthopaedic appliances, a qualified specialist in the field orthopaedic devices.

A disorder of the growing tibial tuberosity, which is characterized by pain, swelling and tenderness. A puberty syndrome occurring in females 8-13 yrs and in males 10-15 yrs. Boys have a 3x greater chance of incidence.

Arthritis characterized by erosion of articular cartilage, which becomes soft, frayed and thinned, causing pain and loss of function.

It is a reduction in the quantity of bone or atrophy of skeletal tissue. It occurs in postmenopausal women and elderly men. Loss of bone mass.

A surgical procedure of cutting a bone, usually by means of a saw or chisel. “Osteo” means bone and “Tome” means incision.

It is a term to describe a repetitive injury to soft tissue, which occurs over time (continual wear and tear of body structures).

It is an examination with the hands, to feel for organs, masses, and irregularities in soft tissue. Touch.

The anterior bone of the knee (knee cap), which is a free-floating bone within the patellar tendon.

The complete bony ring composed of the 3 bones: ilium, ischium and sacrum. The pelvis has a 3-fold purpose of weight bearing, transmission and assisting in body movements.

A thick fibrous membrane covering the entire surface of bone, except its articular cartilage.

Inflammation of the periosteum.

Inflammation of the sheath of a tendon.

The bones of the fingers and toes.

Relating to the sole of the foot.

A toe-point motion of the ankle (i.e. ballerinas & gymnasts on toe point).

The thumb.

The area behind the knee joint, also called the popliteal fossa.

Directed towards the back. Opposite of Anterior.

To fall or slip forward, down or out of an organ or other anatomical structure.

Preventative or protective (i.e. as in taping a joint without prior injury).

The ability for sensory organs found in joints, to receive stimuli from muscles and tendons that indicate relative joint positions.

Any point nearest the trunk or a point of origin of a limb. Opposite of Distal.

Plyometrics are exercises that use a muscle contraction immediately after the muscle has been stretched. These exercises increase power or explosiveness. Power is speed x strength. Plyometrics will increase power thereby increasing speed and vertical leap. Plyometrics can be hard on the body so don’t over do it. If you feel excessive soreness or pain, then you need to take a rest. It is also a good idea to stretch before performing these exercises, so that no injuries occur. Sprints and long distance running will also help optimize this workout and increase vertical leap further.

The 4 knee extensors; the largest group of muscles that assist in providing stability to the knee (rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, & vastus medialis).

The long bone of the forearm, which is laterally situated beside the ulna. The radius is the forearm bone, which leads to the thumb.

The measured beginning and terminal angles, as well as the total degrees of ROM by a joint; joint movement.

A chronic condition which affects multiple joints producing various degrees of disability, weakness and weight loss. Pain, reduce joint ROM and deformity are signs & symptoms.

A turning or movement of a body part around its axis. Rotation has the greatest ROM, as in ball & socket joints (shoulder & hip).

The collective term for the 4 major muscles around the shoulder joint (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor & subscapularis).

A forcible (traumatic) tearing of a soft tissue.

The articulation between the ilium and the sacrum. There are 2 SI joints, one on each side of the sacrum (left & right). There isn’t any interlocking of articular surfaces, rather the joints are held together by strong ligaments.

A curved, triangular shaped bone of the spine, situated between L5 and the coccyx, as well as the ilium on either side. The sacrum forms the posterior aspect of the pelvis and was fused from the 5 bones into 1 shortly after birth.

The concave surfaces of 2 bones articulate with one another. All movements are possible, but rotation is limited (i.e. carpometacarpal joint of the thumb).

A flexor muscle of the thigh and leg, it extends from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the upper medial surface of the tibia. It is a 2 joint muscle.

A “boat-shaped” carpal bone on the lateral aspect of the hand articulating with the radius and the first metacarpal (thumb). It is also called a navicular (boat-shaped) bone as in the foot. The Scaphoid is commonly injured from a fall on a outstretched hand.

The large, flat, triangular bone forming the posterior part of the shoulder (shoulder blade) and the Glenohumeral joint (ball & socket).

Fibrous tissue replacing normal tissues damaged or destroyed by injury or disease.

Any condition characterized by pain along the sciatic nerve, which travels from the lower lumbar region down the leg to the heel.

Any abnormality indicative of disease or trauma, discoverable on examination: deformity, bruising, swelling – visual & objective. Opposite of Symptom.

It is a posterior muscle under the gastrocnemius muscle in the lower leg. It is a broad flat muscle that moves the foot.

An involuntary, sudden intense contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.

Process The most posterior aspect of a vertebra. It can be easily palpated by running one’s fingers up and down a subject’s spine.

A large organ lying in the upper left quadrant of the abdominal cavity between the stomach and the diaphragm. It serves as a storage organ for the red blood cells (RBC) and acts as a blood filter.

A twisting or wrenching of a joint, thereby stretching the ligaments until they become torn or separated from their attachment.

A narrowing or contraction of a canal (i.e. spinal stenosis – abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal, often with compression of the spinal cord, stenosing tenosynovitis – inflammation of a tendon causing constriction of a tunnel, i.e. DeQuervain’s).

The anterior central bone of the rib cage (breast bone/plate).

An excessive stretching (trauma) or overuse of a muscle or tendon.

An incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint.

Directed toward the head. Opposite of Inferior.

An experience or altered structure, function or sensation due to injury. Symptoms are verbal (you cannot see it) & subjective as in: pain, discomfort and awareness.

A group of typical symptoms or conditions that characterize a deficiency or a disease.

Clear fluid secreted by the synovial membrane (membrane lining the capsule of a joint), functioning as a lubricant in a joint, tendon sheath or bursa.

The inflammation of the synovial membrane of a joint.

The large tarsal bone articulating with the tibia and fibula to form the ankle joint.

The 7 small bones forming the instep of the foot. The rearfoot (heel) contain the talus and calcaneus bones, and the midfoot is made up of the navicular, cuboid and 3 cuneiform bones.

A dense, fibrous elastic type of parallel connective tissue, closely packed to form cords (bands). Tendons connect muscle to bone (i.e. achilles tendon, patellar tendon).

An overuse injury of the extensor muscles at their origin, on the lateral epicondyle of the humerus with inflammation, pain and decreased strength as symptoms. Opposite of Golfer’s Elbow.

Inflammation of a tendon and its enveloping sheath.

The long bone of the lower leg, situated medially beside the fibula. It is commonly called the “shin bone”.

Lying across, crosswise (i.e. transverse abdominus muscles).

A rounded elevation on a bone.

A rounded protuberance on the surface of a bone or cartilage (i.e. tibial tuberosity where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia).

The long bone in the forearm, medially situated beside the radius.

A term used to describe the angulation deformity of any paired joints of the extremities, in which the bone distal to the joint deviates laterally from the longitudinal axis of the proximal bone. Also used to describe a lateral stress to the joint, (i.e. valgus stress of the knee – medial collateral ligament sprain). Refer to “genu valgum”. Opposite of Varus.

A term used to describe the angulation deformity of any paired joints of the extremities, in which the bone distal to the joint deviates laterally from the longitudinal axis of the proximal bone. Also used to describe a lateral stress to the joint, (i.e. valgus stress of the knee – medial collateral ligament sprain). Refer to “genu valgum”. Opposite of Varus.

The aspect of the vertebra formed by the arch, the lamina and 4 processes.

The largest part of the vertebra provides the weight-bearing surface. The vertebral body along with the arch forms the vertebral foramen, which serves to protect the spinal cord.

A term referring to the palm of the hand (palmar) or the sole of the foot (plantar).