13.1 – Introduction to the Skeletal System
Learning Objectives
- Identify the anatomy of the skeletal system and describe the main functions of the skeletal system
- Analyze, translate, and define medical terms and common abbreviations of the skeletal system
- Practice the spelling and pronunciation of skeletal system terminology
- Identify the medical specialties associated with the skeletal system and explore common diseases, disorders, and procedures
Skeletal System Word Parts
Click on prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes to reveal a list of word parts to memorize for the musculoskeletal system.
Prefix
- 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)
Combining Form
- 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)
Suffix
- -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)
Activity source: Skeletal System Word Parts by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY- 4.0. / Converted to text.
Introduction to the Skeletal System
The skeletal system forms the framework of the body. It is the body system composed of bones, cartilage and ligaments. Each bone serves a particular function and varies in size, shape and strength. Bones are weight-bearing structures in your body and can therefore change in thickness as you gain or lose weight. The skeletal system performs the following critical functions for the human body:
- supports the body
- facilitates movement
- protects internal organs
- produces blood cells
- stores and releases minerals and fat
Watch The Skeletal System: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #19 (11 min) on YouTube
Media 13.1: CrashCourse. (2015, May 18). The skeletal system: Crash Course anatomy & physiology #19 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/rDGqkMHPDqE
Skeletal System Medical Terms
Skeletal System Medical Terms (Text Version)
Practice the following skeletal system words by breaking into word parts and pronouncing.
- ulnoradial
- uln/o/radi/al
- pertaining to the ulna and radius
- tarsectomy
- tars/ectomy
- excision of the tarsal
- osteocyte
- oste/o/cyte
- bone cell
- cranioschisis
- crani/o/schisis
- fissure of the cranium
- carpectomy
- carp/ectomy
- excision of a carpal (wrist)
- chondroplasty
- chondr/o/plasty
- surgical repair of cartilage
- cranioplasty
- crani/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the cranium
- pelvisacral
- pelv/i/sacr/al
pertaining to the pelvis and sacrum
- pelv/i/sacr/al
- subscapular
- sub/scapul/ar
- pertaining to below the scapula
- tenosynovitis
- ten/o/synov/itis
- inflammation of the tendon and synovial membrane
- sarcopenia
- arc/o/penia
- abnormal reduction of connective tissue presenting as skeletal muscle mass loss and loss of strength
- tibial
- tibi/al
- pertaining to the tibia
- discitis
- disc/itis
- Inflammation of the intervertebral disk
- phalangectomy
- phalang/ectomy
- excision of the phalanges
- sternoclavicular
- stern/o/clavicul/ar
- pertaining to sternum and clavicle
- humeral
- humer/al
- pertaining to the humerus
- arthralgia
- arthr/algia
- painful joint
- lumbosacral
- lumb/o/sacr/al
- pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine and sacrum
- hyperkinesia
- hyper/kines/ia
- condition of excessive movement
- radial
- radi/al
- pertaining to radius
- vertebroplasty
- vertebr/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the vertebral column
- arthrodesis
- arthr/o/desis
- surgical fixation of a joint
- rachischisis
- rach/ischisis
- fissure of vertebral column
- pubic
- pub/ic
- pertaining to pubis
- intercostal
- inter/cost/al
- pertaining to between the ribs
- osteopetrosis
- oste/o/petr/osis
- abnormal condition of stone-like bones
- ankylosis
- ankyl/osis
- abnormal condition of stiffness
- sternoid
- stern/oid
- resembling the sternum
- chondrectomy
- chondr/ectomy
- excision of cartilage
- osteonecrosis
- oste/o/necr/osis
- abnormal condition of bone death (lack of blood supply)
- synovial sarcoma
- synovi/al sarcoma
- malignant tumor pertaining to the synovial membrane
- dystrophy
- dys/trophy
- abnormal development
- synovectomy
- synov/ectomy
- excision of the synovial membrane
- osteopenia
- oste/o/penia
- abnormal reduction of bone mass
- kyphosis
- kyph/osis
- abnormal condition of convexity of the spine
- osteitis
- oste/itis
- inflammation of bone
- hypertrophy
- hyper/trophy
- excessive development
- spondylosis
- spondyl/osis
abnormal condition of the vertebrae
- spondyl/osis
- spondylarthritis
- spondyl/arthr/itis
- inflammation of the vertebra and joint
- cranial
- crani/al
- pertaining to the cranium
- osteoclasis
- oste/o/clasis
surgical breaking of a bone
- oste/o/clasis
- costochondral
- cost/o/chondr/al
- pertaining to ribs and cartilage
- arthroscopy
- arthr/o/scopy
process of viewing a joint
- arthr/o/scopy
- pelvic
- pelv/ic
- pertaining to pelvis, pevlic bone
- lumbar
- lumb/ar
- pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine
- osteomyelitis
- oste/o/myel/itis
- inflammation of bone and bone marrow
- osteoblast
- oste/o/blast
- developing bone cell
- tenorrhaphy
- ten/o/rrhaphy
- suturing of a tendon
- clavicular
- clavicul/ar
- pertaining to the clavicle
- rachiotomy
- rachi/o/tomy
- incision into the vertebral column
- intracranial
- intra/crani/al
- pertaining to within the cranium
- tendinitis
- tendin/itis
- inflammation of the tendon
- costectomy
- cost/ectomy
- excision of rib(s)
- vertebrocostal
- vertebr/o/cost/al
- pertaining to vertebrae and ribs
- bursectomy
- burs/ectomy
- excision of bursa
- laminectomy
- lamin/ectomy
- excision of the lamina
- craniotomy
- crani/o/tomy
- incision into the cranium
- pubofemoral
- pub/o/femor/al
- pertaining to pubic bone and femur
- submandibular
- sub/mandibul/ar
- pertaining to under the mandible
- patellectomy
- patell/ectomy
- excision of the kneecap
- lumbocostal
- lumb/o/cost/al
- pertaining to the lumbar region of the spine and ribs
- intervertebral
- inter/vertebr/al
- pertaining to between the vertebrae
- femoral
- femor/al
- pertaining to the femur
- lordosis
- lord/osis
- abnormal condition of increased concavity of the spine (bent forward)
- arthroplasty
- arthr/o/plasty
- surgical repair of a joint
- iliofemoral
- ili/o/femor/al
- pertaining to the ilium and femur
- bursitis
- burs/itis
- inflammation of the bursa
- arthrography
- arthr/o/graphy
- process of recording a joint
- subcostal
- sub/cost/al
- pertaining to below the ribs
- sternoclavicular
- stern/o/clavicul/ar
- pertaining to the sternum and clavicle
- dyskinesia
- dys/kines/ia
- condition of difficult movement
- bradykinesia
- brady/kines/ia
- condition of slow movement
- sacral
- sacr/al
- pertaining to the sacrum
- arthritis
- arthr/itis
- inflammation of a joint
- diskectomy
- disk/ectomy
- excision of the intervertebral disk
- maxillitis
- maxill/itis
- inflammation of the maxilla
- suprapatellar
- supra/patell/ar
- pertaining to above the knee cap
- ischiofibular
- ischi/o/fibul/ar
- pertaining to the ischium and fibula
- tenomyoplasty
- ten/o/my/o/plasty
- surgical repair of the tendon and muscle
- arthrocentesis
- arthr/o/centesis
- surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from a joint
- osteosarcoma
- oste/o/sarcoma
- malignant tumour of bone
- osteochondritis
- oste/o/chondr/itis
- inflammation of bone and cartilage
- ostectomy
- ost/ectomy
- excision of bone
- osteoarthritis
- oste/o/arthritis
- inflammation of the bone and joint
- carpal
- carp/al
- pertaining to carpal (wrist)
- chondromalacia
- chondr/o/malacia
- softening of cartilage
- submaxillary
- sub/maxill/ary
- pertaining to under the maxilla
- arthroclasia
- arthr/o/clasia
- surgical breaking of a joint
- meniscitis
- menisc/itis
- inflammation of the meniscus
- meniscectomy
- menisc/ectomy
- excision of the meniscus
- maxillectomy
- maxill/ectomy
excision of the maxilla
- maxill/ectomy
- substernal
- sub/stern/al
- pertaining to below the sternum
- osteomalacia
- oste/o/malacia
- softening of bone
- scoliosis
- scoli/osis
- abnormal condition of (lateral) curved spine
- ulnoradial
- uln/o/radi/al
- pertaining to the ulna and nerve root
Activity source: Skeletal System Medical Terms by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY- 4.0. /Text version added.
Attribution
Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Skeletal System” in Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / A derivative of Betts et al., which can be accessed for free from Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax). Adaptations: dividing Skeletal System chapter content into sub-chapters.