Glossary

Arthritis: Acute inflammation of a joint.
Arthropathy: Pathological condition in a joint.
Arthroscopy: Imaging technique making it possible to look inside a joint by inserting a camera into the joint cavity.
Articular ankylosis: Fusion of the joint, whether natural or otherwise: the joint becomes immobile.
Bilateral: Present on both sides
Bone cysts: Area of bone demineralisation.
Capsulitis: Inflammation of the joint capsule.
Cartilage: Fibrous, elastic tissue covering the bone surfaces in a joint. It has a sliding and impact-absorbing function.
Chondrocyte: Cell of the cartilage, producing and nourishing cartilage tissue.
Congenital: "Birth" defect.
Contralateral: Situated on the other side, or on the opposite limb.
DOD: DOD: Developmental orthopaedic disease i.e. skeletal disorders appearing during growth. The main condition is osteochondrosis.
Decalcification, demineralisation: Loss of density and strength of the bone tissue.
Degenerative: Caused by wear, and associated with activity, work or ageing.
Desmitis: Inflammation of a ligament, equivalent to tendonitis for a tendon.
Dorsal: The dorsal face of a limb (of a bone, a joint) is the front face, the anterior face.
Effusion: Increase in the volume of a fluid in a natural cavity: for example. Effusion of the synovial fluid can cause swelling in a joint.
Enthesis: Attachment of a ligament or a tendon to the bone.
Enthesopathy: Condition affecting a ligament or a tendon, at the point at which it attaches to the bone.
Enthesophyte: Bony proliferation at an enthesis (attachment of a tendon or a ligament to the bone).
Fragments: See nodule.
Infiltration: Injection into an anatomical structure (infiltration of a joint, infiltration of a tendon?)
Joint capsule: Fibrous structure around a joint, which connects the bones that make up the joint and contains the synovia or joint fluid.
Joint collapse: Reduction of the joint space between two bones, due to the thinning of the cartilage.
Joint instability: Abnormal and pathological increase in joint movements.
Joint margins: Edges of the joint.
Lateral: The lateral face of a limb (of a bone, of a joint) is the "outside" face (opposite = medial).
Ligament: Fibrous structure connecting two bones.
Medial: The medial face of a limb (of a bone, of a joint?.) is the "inside" face (opposite = lateral)
Navicular syndrome: Navicular disease, podotrochlear syndrome
Nodule: Small fragment of detached bone or cartilage in a joint cavity (osteochondrosis nodule)
Osteoarthritis: Chronic inflammation with a degenerative process in a joint.
Osteochondrosis: A DOD, a growth disorder that is manifested by damage to the cartilage and underlying bone.
Osteolysis: Reduction in bone density (with decalcification).
Osteomyelitis: A bone infection.
Osteophytes: Bony proliferations around a joint.
Osteoproliferation: Bony proliferation, small deformation of a bone, often located at the edge of a joint.
Palmar: The palmar face refers to the posterior face, the rear face, of the foreleg (opposite = dorsal).
Periarticular: Situated around the joint, or the edges of the joint.
Placebo: Product or drug not containing any active substance.
Plantar: The plantar face refers to the posterior face, the rear face, of the hind leg (opposite = dorsal).
Radiotransparent: A radiotransparent structure shows up black on X-rays.
Remodelling: Change in the shape of the bone as compared with its normal shape: the contours of the bone are changed in an X-ray.
Reorganisation: Variations in density, in the structure of the bone (resulting in osteolysis or sclerosis)
Sclerosis: Increased bone density: the area is whiter in an X-ray.
Screening: Testing for a disorder before any symptoms appear.
Soft tissue: Any tissue that is not bone (tendon, muscles, vessels, nerves, etc.).
Spavin: Osteoarthritis of the hock.
Subchondral bone: Bony area situated just under the joint cartilage
Surgical arthrodesis: Surgery performed in order to achieve articular ankylosis.
Synovia: Synovial fluid, fluid contained in the joint capsule of a joint, or in the synovial membrane surrounding a tendon.
Synovial fluid: See synovia.
Synovitis: Inflammation of the synovia (often accompanied by excessive production of synovial fluid).
Tendon: Fibrous structure connecting a muscle and a bone.
Tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the synovial membrane surrounding a tendon.
WREID: Work-related exercise-induced disorders, i.e. a condition induced by work, and specific to the horse's activity.
Windgall: Soft swelling indicating localised deformation of a synovial membrane or joint cavity