Video: Anatomical terminology for healthcare professionals | Episode 3 | Skeletal system

Yeah! Kenhub is in the house. Your foot bone's connected to your ankle bone. Your ankle bone's connected to your leg bone. Your leg bone's connected to your thigh bone. Yo', that's some serious sh--.

Ever feel like getting down to the bones of anatomical terminology is harder than you originally thought? Like, literally? Who knew just talking about the bones of the human body could be so overwhelming. So often we find ourselves caught in a standstill dealing with overly complicated, tongue-twisting medical terminology, right? Well, we're putting an end to all of that as we tackle the third episode of the Kenhub series on Anatomical Terminology for Healthcare Professionals – the humorous side of skeletal terminology.

So, if you watched the previous episode of this series, you will remember that most anatomical terms in medical practice are formed using two or three main word parts or components – a root which is the main subject of the term, a suffix which often gives context to the root, and a prefix which is used to give additional information about the term. We also said that mastering anatomical terminology is not about memorizing your anatomical dictionary, but rather about learning and memorizing these different roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Collectively, they will help you decipher almost any term regardless of where you come across it.

So, as we mentioned, today, we are going to look at a whole lot of word elements which are directly related to the skeletal system. We'll also be learning quite a few commonly used clinical prefixes and suffixes which can be paired with them. So, if you're able, try your best to take note of all parts of the terms we encounter today.

You can also test yourself later by making simple flashcards of different terms. Just add the word element on the front and the explanation on the back. Register for free with kenhub.com and make your flashcards even more effective by adding some of our awesome anatomical illustrations found in our atlas.

So let's get to it and delve into the anatomical terminology of the skeletal system.

Of course, it goes without saying that each bone of the body didn't get their names from thin air. More often than not, the name of a bone generally describes either its appearance or location in your body, and pretty much every bone named can be used to help form other terms in clinical practice. For example, we can have the prefix or root word 'sterno-' which would be something related to the sternum such as sternoschisis, referring to a congenital cleft or division of the sternum.

The same can be said for parts of a particular bone. For example, 'gleno-' relates to the glenoid cavity of the shoulder joint; or 'condylo-' is connected to the round articular condyles of some of the long bones – for example, condylitis refers to inflammation of the condyles in a particular bone.

As there are over 200 bones, I could probably spend the next six or seven hours giving you examples of terms for every bone and bone part, but luckily you, I'm far too nice to subject you to that kind of torture. What I would rather do today is give you some prefixes or root words which might not be so obvious if you come across them in a clinical practice – terms which don't resemble the given names for any bone or joint of the human skeleton. Of course, most of them stem from the eternal anatomical tug-of-war between Greek and Latin terminology. Well, let's see what we can find of interest here.

So, first up, we had the prefix 'mento-', and before you ask – no, this has nothing to do with a popular lozenge which leaves your breath minty fresh; it actually relates to your chin. For instance, we have a procedure known as mentoplasty, which is a surgical augmentation or reduction of the chin. Or how about 'omo-' which refers to the shoulder such as omodynia or pain of the shoulder. Another one is 'cleido-' which refers to the clavicle or collarbone, but you actually know this one already if you think about it – sternocleidomastoid – you know, that muscle which reaches from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process. Of course, we also have the term 'clavi-'; as an example, clavipectoral, but it’s important then we're aware of both. For example, we have a procedure known as cleidotomy, which involves a surgical division of the clavicle.

Some other skeletal-related terms worth mentioning include 'chiro-' or 'cheiro-' which is a term referring to the hands. For example, a chiroplasty is a surgical procedure performed to restore an injured or congenitally-deformed hand to normal use. 'Dactyl-' or with an O which comes from the Greek term 'daktylos' which means digit or finger. For example, the condition dactylomegaly, an enlargement of one or more digits. You might even be more familiar with this term when it appears as a suffix '-dactyly', such as syndactyly – a congenital disorder resulting in the fusion of two or more digits.

'Spondylo-' is another unusual term which actually comes from the Greek term 'spondylus' which is equivalent to vertebra. So, you guessed it – terms which contain the prefix spondylo- have something to do with the vertebral column. A common condition with this term would be ankylosing spondylitis which is a form of rheumatoid arthritis which affects the joints and ligaments of the spine. 'Rachi-' is another term which has a similar meaning as in rachialgia – pain of the vertebral column. You'll remember I said 'spondylus' was the Greek for vertebra. Well, 'rhachis' is the Greek term for spine.

The next term is one you're probably aware of. The word element here is 'costo-' or costal meaning of the ribs. I'll give you the examples intercostal meaning between the ribs or costotome which is a special type of instrument designed for cutting through a rib.

Next up is 'coxo-' or 'coxa-' which refers to the hip joint. Coxa magna is a condition involving enlargement of the femoral head.

Moving distally, there is also a term for the knee joint which you should know and this is 'genu-' as in knee joint. For example, you might ask a patient to assume a genucubital position in which they rest on their knees and elbows when preparing for anorectal examination.

How about this term? 'Crur-' or 'crural-' which can be a bit tricky to wrap your tongue around it, right? It refers to something related to either the lower limb or sometimes specifically the anatomical leg, meaning, the region between the knee and the ankle joints. For example, we have the talocrural joint which is the anatomical name for the superior part of the ankle joint formed by the bones of the leg and talus bone of the foot.

Moving just a little more distal along the lower limb, our next term is 'podo-' which is yet another Greek term that is equivalent to the more common Latin root 'pedi-' which means, that's right, foot. Perhaps, we have an aspiring podiatrist in our midst today.

Now, let's move on from terms related to the bones of the human body and take a look at some more general terms which focus more on the different tissues and articulations of the skeletal system.

The first prefix, of course, has to be 'osteo-'. If you learn your anatomy using Latin terminology, you'll be more than familiar with the term 'os' which means bone, such as os ethmoidale or the ethmoid bone. 'Osteo-', therefore, is a prefix which is unsurprisingly widely used in relation to bone or bone tissue. For example, we are now studying osteology – the scientific study of bones which is studied by osteologists. Osteogenesis describes the development of bone tissue. Osteoblast is a specialized bone cell which produces premature bone tissue known as osteoid. Osteoclast, a different type of cell, which breaks down bone tissue when damaged.

Our next prefix is 'chondro-' which you might be already familiar with. It refers to cartilage. For example, we have chondrocostal, which refers to a structure or region pertaining to the ribs and costal cartilages; or chondromalacia, an abnormal softening of the cartilage.

Next one is 'synov-' or a 'synov-' with an i at the end. This one you've also probably heard of in relation to synovial fluid or synovial joints. Absent or insufficient production of synovial fluid is what we called asynovia. And finally, last but not least, we have 'arthro-' which is a prefix referring to a joint such as in arthrology which is the study of joints, or arthrodysplasia, a congenital defect of joint development.

Now before we wrap up this tutorial, there is one last group of terms which I want to introduce you to. Despite the varying shapes and sizes of bones, one thing they have in common is the fact most of them bear some kind of projections and also depressions, which serve as landmarks to their surface anatomy.

Let’s quickly check out some of the most common terms which you might come across when studying skeletal anatomy.

Let's begin first with some terms for projections. A process is one of the most common types of bony projection; for example, the coracoid process of the scapula. Eminence, which is also a type of bony projection, but generally less prominent than a process; the intercondylar eminence of the tibia, for example. Another type of projection is a tuberosity – a large, generally rounded eminence which sometimes marks the site of tendon or ligament attachment; an example being the radial tuberosity. A tubercle is a similar kind of landmark. What’s the difference between a tuberosity and a tubercle, you ask? Well, to be honest, not much. Both have a similar appearance, however, tubercles tend to be slightly smaller than tuberosities, but it's not really a hard or fast rule.

Our next term of interest is condyle, which is a round articular process such as the medial condyle of the femur. They are often flanked by nonarticular processes known as epicondyles. A totally different type of projection from this is a spine, which is a long thin process such as the spinous processes of the vertebrae. And, finally, we have ridges, crests, and lines, all of which are forms of raised linear elevations. The best known of these is undoubtedly the linea aspera of the femur.

Turning things around, let's now quickly review some of the more common types of depressions which define the surface anatomy of many bones, and without doubt, the most common of these terms is the fossa which can be characterized as a broad and generally shallow depression of bone. Let’s use the olecranon fossa of the humerus as an example here.

Slightly smaller than a fossa is what's known as a fovea such as the transverse costal fovea of the thoracic vertebrae. These often are sites of articulation with other bone. Next up are two similar terms which are groove and sulcus. As the first name suggests, these describe long pits or furrows in the surface of a bone such as the intertubercular sulcus or groove of the humerus.

The next term describes a depression which pierces right through a bone and it's known as a foramen. It usually gives passage for blood vessels or nerves; for example, the infraorbital foramen of the maxilla. Similar to a foramen is a canal or meatus, both of which describe a tunnel-like structure within a bone; for example, the external acoustic meatus which connects the middle and outer ear. And finally, one last term which you can't actually see from the surface of a bone, I'm talking about a sinus, which is a cavity or a hollow located within a bone itself; for example, the maxillary sinus.

Well, I don't know about you, but I think we have covered a whole lot of ground in learning about the anatomical and medical terminologies related to the skeletal system. I hope you feel more empowered to tackle these terms. Remember, the key here is about building up your inventory of word elements – the roots, prefixes, or suffixes – as opposed to learning terms as a whole. Like I mentioned earlier, one way to master this is to create a library of flashcards as you work through the series. So remember to register with Kenhub and grab some free atlas illustrations and articles to maximize your success.

As we wrap up this video tutorial now, let's set ourselves a little challenge to see how we've done today. How about you take a shot at figuring out the meaning of these bone-related conditions and procedures which are based on some of the word elements we've learned about today.