Category: S

Having the appearance or quality of a sponge.  

Removal of part of the vertebral column to correct a deformity.  

A congenital fissure of one or more of the vertebral arches. A naturally occurring gap in the arch of one or more vertebrae from birth.  

Suppuration with inflammation of a vertebra. Any purulent infection of the vertebrae.  

Downward displacement of a vertebra caused by the disintegration of the one below it.  

Inflammation of the vertebral joints resulting in the outgrowth of bone-like deposits on the vertebrae, which may fuse and cause rigid and distorted spine. Spondylitis, thought to result from a rheumatic condition affecting the spinal joints, leading to their immobility and causing a forward curvature of the spine. In some cases, the patient’s posture may…

Inflammation of the joints of the vertebrae; arthritis of the spine. Inflammation of a joint in the spine.  

In audiometry, the intensity at which speech is recognized as a meaningful symbol. This is tested by presenting, through an audiometer, two-syllable words in which each symbol is accented equally.  

Two-syllable words that receive equal stress on each syllable.  

The use of the polymerase chain reaction to identify pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in laboratory specimens. It relies on the detection of unique spans of repeated DNA sequences found between the active genes of the pathogen. Culture-based methods of identifying mycobacteria are slow, often taking as long as 4 to 6 weeks to identify…