Glossary of Arthritis

Glossary of A

Glossary from A to B

Glossary from B to C

Glossary from C to G

Glossary from H to L

Glossary from M to P

Glossary from P to S

Glossary from S to W

 

Glossary for Arthritis - 1

Abduction: The movement of a limb away from the central axis of the body.

Acetabulum: The cup-shaped socket in the hipbone into which the head of the femur (the large bone between the knee and hip, also knows as the thighbone) fits.

Acromegaly: A hormonal disease re from excessive secretion of human growth hormone, which regulates growth. Excessive amounts of growth hormone can cause bones and soft tissues to thicken, resulting in osteoarthritis.

AdrenoCorticoTropic Hormone (ACTH): Produced by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain, ACTH stimulates the release of cortisol and other natural steroid hormones from the adrenal glands. Some physicians use ACTH injections to treat arthritis, though the practice is not common.

Adduction: The movement of a limb toward the central axis of the body: the opposite of abduction.

Agglutination Test: A technique used to detect the presence of a variety of antibodies in the blood. For instance, the presence of rheumatoid factor (an antibody) in the blood is usually detected through an agglutination test. When results of this test are positive an aggregation or clump, visible through a microscope (or often the naked eye) forms.

Alignment: The naturally correct positions of all parts of the body.

Allopurinol: The generic name for a drug that blocks the formation of uric acid in the body, used in the treatment of gout.

Anemia: A decreased level of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the bloodstream. An antibody reaction or other effects of arthritis can reduce the number of red blood cells in the body and lead to anemia.

Antibody: A protein responsible for immunity made by a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The antibody defends the body by fighting off foreign particles called antigens (see definition) and thus helps prevent infection. The second time the body encounters these foreign antigens it is better prepared and produces antibodies both faster and in greater numbers than on the first response.