13.1 – Introduction to the Skeletal System

• a- (absence of, without)
• ab- (away from)
• ad- (towards)
• brady- (slow)
• dys- (painful, difficult, abnormal, laboured)
• hyper- (above, excessive)
• inter- (between)
• intra- (within, in)
• poly- (many, much)
• sub- (below, under)
• supra- (above)
• sym- (together, joined)
• syn- (together, joined)

• ankyl/o (stiff, bent)
• aponeur/o (aponeurosis)
• arthr/o (joint)
• burs/o (bursa)
• carp/o (carpals, wrist)
• chondr/o (cartilage)
• clavic/o (clavicle, collarbone)
• clavicul/o (clavicle, collarbone)
• cost/o (ribs)
• crani/o (cranium)
• disk/o (intervertebral disk)
• femor/o (femur, upper leg bone)
• fibul/o (fibula, lower leg bone)
• humer/o (humerus, upper arm bone)
• ili/o (ilium)
• ischi/o (ischium)
• kinesi/o (movement, motion)
• kyph/o (increased convexity of the spine)
• lord/o (bent forward, increased concavity of the spine)
• lumb/o (loin, lumbar region of the spine)
• mandibul/o (mandible, lower jawbone)
• maxill/o (maxilla, upper jawbone)
• menisc/o (meniscus, crescent)
• myel/o (spinal cord)
• oste/o (bone)
• patell/o (patella, kneecap)
• pelv/i (pelvis, pelvic bone)
• pelv/o (pelvis, pelvic bone)
• petr/o (stone)
• phalang/o (phalanges, bones of finger and toes)
• pub/o (pubis)
• rachi/o (vertebral spine, vertebral column)
• radi/o (nerve root)
• scapul/o (scapula, shoulder blade)
• scoli/o (crooked, curved)
• spondyl/o (vertebra, spine, vertebral column)
• stern/o (sternum, breastbone)
• tars/o (tarsals, ankle bones)
• ten/o (tendon)
• tendin/o (tendon)
• tend/o (tendon)
• tibi/o (tibia, lower leg bone)
• uln/o (ulna, lower arm bone)
• vertebr/o (vertebra, spine, vertebral column)

• -al (pertaining to)
• -algia (pain)
• -ar (pertaining to)
• -asthenia (weakness)
• -centesis (surgical puncture to aspirate fluid)
• -clasia (break)
• -clasis (break)
• -clast (break)
• -desis (surgical fixation, fusion)
• -ectomy (excision, surgical removal, cutting out)
• -gram (the record, radiographic image)
• -graphy (process of recording, radiographic imaging)
• -ic (pertaining to)
• -itis (inflammation)
• -lysis (loosening, separating, dissolution)
• -malacia (softening)
• -oid (resembling)
• -oma (tumour)
• -sis (abnormal condition)
• -penia (abnormal reduction)
• -physis (growth)
• -plasty (surgical repair)
• -rrhaphy (suturing, repairing)
• -sarcoma (malignant tumour)
• -schisis (split, fissure)
• -scopy (process of viewing, visual examination)
• -tomy (incision, cut into)
• -trophy (nourishment, development)

Practice the following skeletal system words by breaking into word parts and pronouncing.

1. ulnoradial
   • uln/o/radi/al
   • pertaining to the ulna and radius
2. tarsectomy
   • tars/ectomy
   • excision of the tarsal
3. osteocyte
   • oste/o/cyte
   • bone cell
4. cranioschisis
   • crani/o/schisis
   • fissure of the cranium
5. carpectomy
   • carp/ectomy
   • excision of a carpal (wrist)
6. chondroplasty
   • chondr/o/plasty
   • surgical repair of cartilage
7. cranioplasty
   • crani/o/plasty
   • surgical repair of the cranium
8. pelvisacral
   • pelv/i/sacr/al
     pertaining to the pelvis and sacrum
9. subscapular
   • sub/scapul/ar
   • pertaining to below the scapula
10. tenosynovitis
    • ten/o/synov/itis
    • inflammation of the tendon and synovial membrane
11. sarcopenia
    • arc/o/penia
    • abnormal reduction of connective tissue presenting as skeletal muscle mass loss and loss of strength
12. tibial
    • tibi/al
    • pertaining to the tibia
13. discitis
    • disc/itis
    • Inflammation of the intervertebral disk
14. phalangectomy
    • phalang/ectomy
    • excision of the phalanges
15. sternoclavicular
    • stern/o/clavicul/ar
    • pertaining to sternum and clavicle
16. humeral
    • humer/al
    • pertaining to the humerus
17. arthralgia
    • arthr/algia
    • painful joint
18. lumbosacral
    • lumb/o/sacr/al
    • pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine and sacrum
19. hyperkinesia
    • hyper/kines/ia
    • condition of excessive movement
20. radial
    • radi/al
    • pertaining to radius
21. vertebroplasty
    • vertebr/o/plasty
    • surgical repair of the vertebral column
22. arthrodesis
    • arthr/o/desis
    • surgical fixation of a joint
23. rachischisis
    • rach/ischisis
    • fissure of vertebral column
24. pubic
    • pub/ic
    • pertaining to pubis
25. intercostal
    • inter/cost/al
    • pertaining to between the ribs
26. osteopetrosis
    • oste/o/petr/osis
    • abnormal condition of stone-like bones
27. ankylosis
    • ankyl/osis
    • abnormal condition of stiffness
28. sternoid
    • stern/oid
    • resembling the sternum
29. chondrectomy
    • chondr/ectomy
    • excision of cartilage
30. osteonecrosis
    • oste/o/necr/osis
    • abnormal condition of bone death (lack of blood supply)
31. synovial sarcoma
    • synovi/al sarcoma
    • malignant tumor pertaining to the synovial membrane
32. dystrophy
    • dys/trophy
    • abnormal development
33. synovectomy
    • synov/ectomy
    • excision of the synovial membrane
34. osteopenia
    • oste/o/penia
    • abnormal reduction of bone mass
35. kyphosis
    • kyph/osis
    • abnormal condition of convexity of the spine
36. osteitis
    • oste/itis
    • inflammation of bone
37. hypertrophy
    • hyper/trophy
    • excessive development
38. spondylosis
    • spondyl/osis
      abnormal condition of the vertebrae
39. spondylarthritis
    • spondyl/arthr/itis
    • inflammation of the vertebra and joint
40. cranial
    • crani/al
    • pertaining to the cranium
41. osteoclasis
    • oste/o/clasis
      surgical breaking of a bone
42. costochondral
    • cost/o/chondr/al
    • pertaining to ribs and cartilage
43. arthroscopy
    • arthr/o/scopy
      process of viewing a joint
44. pelvic
    • pelv/ic
    • pertaining to pelvis, pevlic bone
45. lumbar
    • lumb/ar
    • pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine
46. osteomyelitis
    • oste/o/myel/itis
    • inflammation of bone and bone marrow
47. osteoblast
    • oste/o/blast
    • developing bone cell
48. tenorrhaphy
    • ten/o/rrhaphy
    • suturing of a tendon
49. clavicular
    • clavicul/ar
    • pertaining to the clavicle
50. rachiotomy
    • rachi/o/tomy
    • incision into the vertebral column
51. intracranial
    • intra/crani/al
    • pertaining to within the cranium
52. tendinitis
    • tendin/itis
    • inflammation of the tendon
53. costectomy
    • cost/ectomy
    • excision of rib(s)
54. vertebrocostal
    • vertebr/o/cost/al
    • pertaining to vertebrae and ribs
55. bursectomy
    • burs/ectomy
    • excision of bursa
56. laminectomy
    • lamin/ectomy
    • excision of the lamina
57. craniotomy
    • crani/o/tomy
    • incision into the cranium
58. pubofemoral
    • pub/o/femor/al
    • pertaining to pubic bone and femur
59. submandibular
    • sub/mandibul/ar
    • pertaining to under the mandible
60. patellectomy
    • patell/ectomy
    • excision of the kneecap
61. lumbocostal
    • lumb/o/cost/al
    • pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine and ribs
62. intervertebral
    • inter/vertebr/al
    • pertaining to between the vertebrae
63. femoral
    • femor/al
    • pertaining to the femur
64. lordosis
    • lord/osis
    • abnormal condition of increased concavity of the spine (bent forward)
65. arthroplasty
    • arthr/o/plasty
    • surgical repair of a joint
66. iliofemoral
    • ili/o/femor/al
    • pertaining to the ilium and femur
67. bursitis
    • burs/itis
    • inflammation of the bursa
68. arthrography
    • arthr/o/graphy
    • process of recording a joint
69. subcostal
    • sub/cost/al
    • pertaining to below the ribs
70. sternoclavicular
    • stern/o/clavicul/ar
    • pertaining to the sternum and clavicle
71. dyskinesia
    • dys/kines/ia
    • condition of difficult movement
72. bradykinesia
    • brady/kines/ia
    • condition of slow movement
73. sacral
    • sacr/al
    • pertaining to the sacrum
74. arthritis
    • arthr/itis
    • inflammation of a joint
75. diskectomy
    • disk/ectomy
    • excision of the intervertebral disk
76. maxillitis
    • maxill/itis
    • inflammation of the maxilla
77. suprapatellar
    • supra/patell/ar
    • pertaining to above the knee cap
78. ischiofibular
    • ischi/o/fibul/ar
    • pertaining to the ischium and fibula
79. tenomyoplasty
    • ten/o/my/o/plasty
    • surgical repair of the tendon and muscle
80. arthrocentesis
    • arthr/o/centesis
    • surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from a joint
81. osteosarcoma
    • oste/o/sarcoma
    • malignant tumour of bone
82. osteochondritis
    • oste/o/chondr/itis
    • inflammation of bone and cartilage
83. ostectomy
    • ost/ectomy
    • excision of bone
84. osteoarthritis
    • oste/o/arthritis
    • inflammation of the bone and joint
85. carpal
    • carp/al
    • pertaining to carpal (wrist)
86. chondromalacia
    • chondr/o/malacia
    • softening of cartilage
87. submaxillary
    • sub/maxill/ary
    • pertaining to under the maxilla
88. arthroclasia
    • arthr/o/clasia
    • surgical breaking of a joint
89. meniscitis
    • menisc/itis
    • inflammation of the meniscus
90. meniscectomy
    • menisc/ectomy
    • excision of the meniscus
91. maxillectomy
    • maxill/ectomy
      excision of the maxilla
92. substernal
    • sub/stern/al
    • pertaining to below the sternum
93. osteomalacia
    • oste/o/malacia
    • softening of bone
94. scoliosis
    • scoli/osis
    • abnormal condition of (lateral) curved spine
95. ulnoradial
    • uln/o/radi/al
    • pertaining to the ulna and nerve root