Medical Terminology & Anatomy Flashcards

What does 'osteoporosis' literally translate to in medical terminology?

Answer: Porous bone

Osteoporosis comes from osteo- (bone) and -porosis (porous condition), describing a condition where bones become porous and fragile.

In anatomy, the term 'dorsal' refers to which side of the body?

Answer: Back (posterior)

Dorsal refers to the back or posterior side of the body, derived from the Latin 'dorsum' meaning back.

The abbreviation 'MI' commonly found in Medicare patient records stands for:

Answer: Myocardial Infarction

MI stands for Myocardial Infarction, commonly called a heart attack, where myocardial refers to heart muscle tissue and infarction means tissue death due to blocked blood supply.

The term 'neuropathy' in Medicare diagnoses (e.g., diabetic neuropathy) refers to:

Answer: Disease or disorder of the nerves

Neuropathy is formed from neuro- (nerve) and -pathy (disease or disorder), describing damage or dysfunction of peripheral nerves.

Which term describes the superior (upper) cavities of the heart that receive incoming blood?

Answer: Atria

The atria (singular: atrium) are the two upper chambers of the heart that receive blood from the veins before passing it to the ventricles.

The combining form 'arthr/o' in terms like arthritis and arthroplasty refers to:

Answer: Joint

Arthr/o is the combining form meaning joint, used in arthritis (joint inflammation) and arthroplasty (joint surgical repair or replacement).

In a Medicare claim, a diagnosis of 'hemiplegia' means the patient has:

Answer: Paralysis of one side of the body

Hemiplegia means paralysis (plegia) of one side (hemi-) of the body, often resulting from a stroke (CVA) and commonly coded in Medicare claims.