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Avascular Necrosis

Ben Parr — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:50:09 -0700

Avascular necrosis, sometimes known as Osteonecrosis, is a progressive condition that results in the death of bone tissue due to a temporary or permanent loss of blood supply. This condition can cause multiple breaks in a person's bone, thus causing it to collapse. It especially affects the upper part of the femur or the joints.

The condition occurs for many reasons, including radiation damage, alcoholism, trauma, and steroid use.

Autograft Bone

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:17 -0800

Definition

Autograft bone is the bone of a patient for use in grafting procedures in their own body. Bone is taken from one part of the body and grafted onto another part of the body to replace damaged tissues.

The advantage of an autograft is a high probability of successful bone fusion. However, complications with using a patient’s own bone include infection, bleeding, fractures and tissue damage.

Arthroplasty

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:17 -0800

Definition

Arthroplasty is the field of medicine dealing with the surgical reconstruction and total replacement of degenerated joints. Arthroplasty requires the use of prosthetics; thus key factors such as biomechanics, prosthetic design, metallurgy and biomaterials are taken into account for surgical procedures.

Autologous

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:17 -0800

Definition

Autologous blood is a term referring to an individual’s own blood. In autologous blood transfusions, the patient’s own blood is collected and reinfused into the body.

Autologous blood minimizes many adverse effects of the transfusion procedure and remains the safest type of blood transfusion in avoiding the transmission of infectious blood diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B compared to allogenic blood or blood donated by a family member.

Arthrodesis

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:16 -0800

Definition

Arthrodesis is the fusion of vertebrae over a joint space that occurs through a natural process or as a result of surgical procedure. In surgery, arthrodesis, or fusion between two vertebrae, can be achieved by placing bone graft and/or bone graft substitute to bridge the vertebrae so that new bone grows into the spaces.

Arthrodesis immobilizes the joints at the level of the fusion. Thus, the procedure can be used to treat pain caused by the motion or instability of the spine.

Apophyseal Joint

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:15 -0800

Definition

An apophyseal joint is a point where two or more bones join in the spine.

The spinal joint is encapsulated by connective tissues, coated with cartilage and lubricated with synoviall fluid to enable smooth joint articulation. Each vertebra has a pair of apophyseal joints- one on the left and one on the right. Each joint is composed of a superior articular facet joint that faces up and an inferior articular facet that faces down.

Arthritis

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:15 -0800

Definition

Arthritis is a condition that involves an inflammation of the joints. Common arthritic conditions include rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis and osteoarthritis.

In the spine, degenerative arthritis causes a breakdown of cartilage between the facet joints in the spine and generally occurs in adults over the age of 60. When the joints are articulated, the lack of cartilage at the joint causes pain as well as loss of motion and stiffness.

Arachnoiditis

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:15 -0800

Definition

A type of chronic pain caused by inflammation in the spinal canal. Arachnoiditis is a chronic pain disorder caused by the inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and subarachnoid space that surround the nerves of the spinal cord. The inflammation can cause the meninges to adhere to the spinal cord and nerve roots.

Because the nerve roots are affected, symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and burning pain is often felt in the lower back or legs.

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion ALIF

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:14 -0800

Definition

Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) is a type of back surgery used to fuse the disc space of the spine through entering the front of the body through the abdomen. In an ALIF, an incision is made on the left side of the abdomen and the abdominal contents and muscles are pulled to the side to allow access to the front of the spine.

Antidepressant

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:14 -0800

Definition

An antidepressant is a drug used that is primarily used in the treatment of clinical depression. Antidepressants are said to stimulate the mood of patients through the chemical manipulation of neurotransmitters in the brain. The various classes of antidepressants commonly include:

Annulus Fibrosis

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:14 -0800

Definition

The annulus fibrosis is the tough circular exterior of the intervertebral disc that surrounds the soft inner core, the nucleus pulposus. This outer portion is composed of a ring of ligament fibers that encases the inner core of the disc and securely connects the spinal vertebrae above and below the disc.

Anticoagulants

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:14 -0800

Definition

Anticoagulants are medicinal substances that prevent or stop the clotting of blood. Heparin, a naturally occurring anticoagulant extracted from animal tissues, works to stop the coagulation of blood by preventing the formation of prothrombin, fibrin and thrombin.

Anticoagulants are often used to treat bedridden patients who are at risk of developing blood clots in the veins of the legs and pelvis. Physical therapy reduces the risk of clots circulating to the lungs, heart, or other organs.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:13 -0800

Definition

The condition known as ankylosing spondylitis is a relatively rare form of arthritis that causes inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints. The condition is characterized as a progressive stiffening of a group of joints and ligaments in the spinal column, causing chronic pain and impaired mobility of the spine.

Anesthesiology and Anesthesiologist

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:13 -0800

Definition

The field of Anesthesiology refers to the branch of medicine that studies how to suppress the perception of pain and sensation in the brain. An anesthesiologist administers anesthesia for patients who undergo surgery and other medical procedures that cause pain. Three general types of anesthesia can be administered:

General anesthesia that causes loss of consciousness
Regional anesthesia that selectively blocks areas of the spinal cord and nerves.
Local anesthesia that numbs the sensation to the applied site.

Alternative Medicine

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:12 -0800

Definition

The phrase Alternative Medicine refers to a range of treatments that are not typically classified as part of traditional “Western medicine”.

Analgesics

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:12 -0800

Definition

The term Analgesics encompasses a class of drugs that are designed to relieve pain without causing the loss of consciousness. The different classes of analgesic drugs include:

Acupuncture

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:11 -0800

Definition

An alternative medical technique that involves the insertion of hair-thin metallic needles at specific points on the body in an attempt to relieve tension and pain. According to the ancient Chinese healing treatment of acupuncture, the insertion of needles into specific combinations of 2,000 points on the human body unblocks energy pathways called meridians allowing the body to return to its homeostatic flow of energy.

Acute Pain

spine-health — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:52:11 -0800

Definition

There are different types of pain. Acute pain is a type of pain that typically lasts less than 3 to 6 months, or pain that is directly related to soft tissue damage such as a sprained ankle or a paper cut.

Acute pain is of short duration but it gradually resolves as the injured tissues heal. Acute pain is distinct from chronic pain and is relatively more sharp and severe.

Related information

Types of back pain: acute pain, chronic pain, and neuropathic pain
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