Essential knee terminology
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- OA search for term
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OA is an abbreviation of 'osteoarthritis'.
- OATS search for term
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OATS is an abbreviation for a procedure where a core of healthy cartilage and bone is taken from an unimportant area of the knee to replace a more important damaged area.
Page updated January 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Occupational therapist search for term
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An occupational therapist is a clinically-trained person who specialises in either aiding patients back to work or using work therapy as part of a treatment plan.
- OCD search for term
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OCD is an abbreviation of 'osteochondral defect'. The abbreviation is also used for 'osteochondritis dissecans'.
- Oedema search for term
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Oedema is excess fluid in the soft tissues.
- Oedematous search for term
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Oedematous is an adjective to describe body tissue that is boggy with excess tissue fluid.
- Offloading search for term
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Offloading is changing the forces through the knee joint to protect a damaged area.
- One-legged balance search for term
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One-legged balance is a knee rehabilitation exercise.
- Online consultation search for term
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An online consultation is a virtual meeting with a doctor facilitated by the internet.
- Open chain search for term
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An exercise is 'open chain' when it involves a phase where the foot is free and not in contact with any surface.
- Open chain exercise search for term
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An 'open chain' exercise in one in which the end of the limb being exercised is free from contact with any surface for some part of the excursion.
- Opening wedge search for term
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An opening wedge describes a type of knee osteotomy for correcting limb alignment.
- Opening-wedge osteotomy search for term
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An opening-wedge osteotomy is a surgical procedure where a bone is cut partly through and wedged open, in order to re-angle the bone.
Page updated February 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - ORIF search for term
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ORIF is an abbreviation for 'open reduction and internal fixation', and refers to bone fractures.
Page updated January 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Orthobiologic search for term
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An orthobiologic helps injuries to heal damaged bones, tendons, ligaments and muscle by using cell-based therapies and biological materials that will become part of the repaired but living tissue.
- Orthopaedic search for term
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The term 'orthopaedic' relates to the medical management of disorders of bones and soft tissues of the limbs.
- Orthopaedic surgeon search for term
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An orthopaedic surgeon is a specialist in surgery of the bones and soft tissues of the limbs.
- Orthotic search for term
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An orthotic is a shoe insert.
- Orthotics search for term
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Orthotics is the discipline of improving gait or leg stability with shoe inserts or knee braces.
- Orthotist search for term
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An orthotist is a clinician who specialises in optimising the forces through the feet via insoles of various shapes and custom footware.
- OS search for term
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OS is an abbreviation for 'orthopaedic surgeon'.
- OSD search for term
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Abbreviation of 'Osgood Schlatter's disorder'.
- Osgood Schlatter's disease search for term
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Osgood Schlatter's disease is an 'overuse' condition, where the attachment of the patellar tendon to the tibia bone becomes stressed.
- Ossicle search for term
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An ossicle is a very small bone.
- Osteitis search for term
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Osteitis is infection of the bone.
- Osteoarthritis search for term
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Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common form of knee arthritis.
Page updated January 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Osteoarticular transfer system search for term
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The Osteoarticular Transfer System is surgical procedure to core out a damaged bit of joint cartilage and replace it with a healthy bit from a donor.
- Osteochondral allograft search for term
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An osteochondral allograft is transplant of a plug of bone and cartilage from a donor into a prepared matching defect in the patient.
- Osteochondral Autologous Transfer System search for term
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Osteochondral Autologous Transfer System (OATS) is a surgical procedure where a plug of bone and cartilage is cored from a relatively unimportant area of knee cartilage and used to replace damage to an important area.
- Osteochondral defect search for term
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An osteochondral defect occurs when a chunk of joint cartilage is lost, leaving a crater that extends into the underlying bone.
Page updated September 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Osteochondral graft search for term
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An osteochondral graft is plug of bone and cartilage that can be press-fitted into a prepared hole to replace a defect in the joint cartilage.
- Osteochondritis search for term
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Osteochondritis is inflammation of the joint cartilage and underlying bone.
- Osteochondritis dissecans search for term
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Osteochondritis dissecans is a destructive condition of bone, where blood supply becomes insufficient to a small section of cartilage and its underlying cartilage.
Page updated March 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Osteochondrosis search for term
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Osteochondrosis is a general term implying that there is some abnormal process going on in the joint cartilage and underlying bone.
- Osteolysis search for term
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Osteolysis is the breakdown of bone, which is a normal part of the self-restructuring of bone, but which can in some cases be abnormal and leave cavities in the area.
- Osteomyelitis search for term
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Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that also involves the bone marrow.
- Osteonecrosis search for term
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Osteonecrosis is cell death of a small area of bone.
- Osteophyte search for term
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An osteophyte (bone spur) is a small, irregular bony outgrowth from a joint surface, usually seen in relation to osteoarthritis.
Page updated February 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Osteoporosis search for term
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Osteoporosis is a disorder of thinning of bone, which may lead to fractures even after minor trauma.
- Osteotomy search for term
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Osteotomy is a surgical procedure where a bone is cut and realigned or repositioned to improve the forces going through the area.
Page updated September 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - OT search for term
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OT is an abbreviation for 'occupational therapist'.
- Outerbridge Classification search for term
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The Outerbridge classification is a grading system for joint cartilage breakdown in the knee.
Page updated January 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Outside-in technique search for term
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The outside-in technique refers to meniscus repair where a needle is introduced into the knee from the skin through the two adjacent parts of torn meniscus, under arthroscopic visual control.
- Overuse injuries search for term
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Overuse injuries may occur when the knee is put through unusual repetitive motions.
Page updated October 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor) - Oxford knee score search for term
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The Oxford Knee Score is a scoring system of activities of daily living. 0=poor, 48=good.
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