Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «K»:
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Klumpke paralysis
Klumpke paralysis: See: Klumpke palsy....
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Klumpke's palsy
Klumpke's palsy: See: Klumpke palsy....
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Knee
Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The
thigh bone (the femur) meets the large shin bone (the tibia) to form
the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer
(lateral) compartment. The kneecap (the patella) joins the femur to
form a third joint, called the patellof...
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Knee bursitis
Knee bursitis: A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that
functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction between moving tissues of the body. There are three major bursae of the knee. Bursitis is usually not infectious, but the bursa can become infected. Treatment of non-infectious bursitis includes rest,...
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Knee jerk
Knee jerk: The reflex tested by tapping just below the knee causing the lower leg to suddenly jerk forward.
What is tapped to elicit this reaction is the patellar tendon, the tendon that runs down from the quadriceps muscle in the front of the thigh, over the kneecap (the patella), down to the lowe...
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Knee joint
Knee joint: The knee joint
has three parts. The thigh bone
(the femur) meets the large
shin bone (the tibia) to form the main
knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) and an outer (lateral)
compartment. The kneecap (the patella) joins the femur to form a
third joint, called the patellofem...
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Knee ligaments
Knee ligaments: Ligaments are strong, elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. They provide strength and stability to the joint.
Four ligaments connect the femur (the bone in the thigh) with the tibia (the larger bone in the lower leg):
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) provides stabi...
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Knee phenomenon
Knee phenomenon: See: Knee jerk....
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Knee replacement, total
Knee replacement, total: A surgical procedure in which damaged parts of the knee joint are replaced with artifical parts.
The surgery is done by separating the muscles and ligaments around the knee to expose the inside of the joint. The ends of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia) are re...
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Knee, artificial
Knee, artificial: Total knee replacement, a surgical procedure in which damaged parts of the knee joint are replaced with artifical parts.
The surgery is done by separating the muscles and ligaments around the knee to expose the inside of the joint. The ends of the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bo...
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Knee, housemaid's
Knee, housemaid's: See: Housemaid's knee....
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Knee, jumper's
Knee, jumper's: See: Patellar tendonitis....
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Knee, secretary's
Knee, secretary's: The patellofemoral syndrome
(PFS), the commonest cause of
chronic knee pain. PFS characteristically causes vague
discomfort of the
inner knee area, aggravated by activity (running, jumping,
climbing or
descending stairs) or by prolonged sitting with knees in a
moderately bent
...
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Kneecap
Kneecap: The medical name for the kneecap is the patella. Whichever name -- kneecap or patella -- you prefer, it is the small bone that is in the front of the knee.
The patella is a sesamoid bone, a little bone that is embedded in a joint capsule or tendon, in this case the tendon of insertion of th...
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Knock-knees
Knock-knees: An abnormal curve of the legs that
causes the knees to touch or nearly touch while the feet are apart.
The problem may arise in the bone structure itself, or in some cases
it develops gradually as a result of muscle abnormalities. Knock-
knees can cause movement difficulties, muscle ...
