Glossary
Prosthetic & Orthotic Specialists

Term Definition
3S Suction Silicone Suspension- Utilizes a silicone sleeve with a locking pin to suspend prosthesis.
Abduct To move away from the midline of the body
Adduct To move towards the midline of the body
AE Trans-Humeral Above the elbow amputee
AFO Ankle Foot Orthosis
AK Trans-Femoral Above the knee amputee
Alignment Position of a prosthetic socket in relation to foot and knee
Amputation Removal of all or part of a limb due to infection, injury, tumor, disease, or trauma
Anterior The front of an organism, the ventral surface
Amputee A person who has had all or part of a limb removed/amputated or is born without a limb
Atrophy Reduction in size or wasting away of an organ or cell resulting from disease or inactivity
Axial Skeleton The bones of the skull, vertebral column, thorax, and sternum
BE Trans-Radial Below elbow amputee
Bilateral Bi means both, meaning both sides
BK Trans-Tibial Below the knee amputee
Brachial Pertaining to the arm
Bursa Small sac filled with fluid and located at friction points, especially joints
Carpal One of the eight bones of the wrist
Cartilage White, semiopaque connective tissue
Cervical Refering to the neck 
Chopart Amputation of approximately 2/3 of the foot
Condyle Rounded projection at the end of a bone that articulates with another bone
Congenital limb deficiency When all or part of limb(s) do not develop normally in the womb or are missing
Contralateral Opposite; acting in unison with a similar part on the opposite side of the body
Coronal (frontal) plane Longitudinal plane that divides the body into anterior and posterior parts
Coxal Pertaining to the hip
Crural Pertaining to the leg
Disarticulation Limb is amputated through the joint
Distal Further away from the center of the body (your foot is distal to your knee)
Doffing Removing the prosthesis
Donning Putting the prosthesis on
Dorsiflexion Flexion of a joint in the direction of the dorsum of the body part. Often used with reference to the foot or hand.
Edema Swelling of the tissues (also spelled oedema)
Endo Inside
Endoskeletal A prosthesis which typically uses a pylon (tube) to support the weight of the amputee. This prosthesis is typically covered with soft foam and nylon.
Femoral Pertaining to the thigh
FES Functional Electrical Stimulation, use of electrodes on the skin or implanted in orthoses to stimulate muscles and recruit stronger contractions or train patients to activate certain muscle groups
Flexion Bending; the movement that decreases the angle between bones
Gate cycle The repeated reciprocal movement of the upper and lower limbs in a recurring manner during walking from heel strike of a given foot untill the next heel strike of the same foot.
Ground reaction force Refers to the force that the ground exerts back on the foot during gait. It can be resolved in two components including the verticl, as result of body weight, and a horizontal, the result of the body's inertial force.
Hamstring muscles Posterior thigh muscles; the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus
Hemiplegia Paralysis of one side of the body
Hypertonic Excessive, above normal tone or tension
Hypotonic Below normal tone or tension
Inferior Pertaining to a position near the tail end of the long axis of the body
Isotonic Having a uniform tension; of the same tone
KAFO Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis
Lateral Away from the midline of the body
Ligament A cord of fibrous tissue that connects bones
Medial Toward the midline of the body
Midsagittal Line Line passes directly through the center of the body and divides it into equal right and left regions. Also known as the Median plane, which is a verticle plane drawn from front to back of the body at right angles to the frontal and transverse planes.
Muscle Tone Sustained partial contraction of a muscle in response to stretch receptor inputs
Muscular Dystrophy Progressive disorder marked by atrophy and stiffness of the muscles
Origin Attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during muscular contraction
Orthotics The design, fabrication, and fitting of devices that provide external support or assist weak or abnormal joints and/or muscles
Osteoblasts Bone forming cells
Osteoporosis Increased softening of the bone resulting from a gradual decrease in rate of bone formation; a common condition in older people
Paraplegia Paralysis of the lower limbs
Periosteum Double-layered connective tissue that covers and nourishes the bone
Peroneal Pertaining to the lateral aspect of the leg
Plantar Pertaining to the sole of the foot
Plantar flexion Flexion of the ankle joint in the direction of the plantar surface of the foot
Pronation The inward rotation of the forearm causing the radius to cross diagonally over the ulna - palms face posteriorly
Prosthetics Artificial replacement of a limb or other body part
Proximal Closer to the origin of a limb  (your knee is proximal to your foot)
PTB Patellar Tendon Bearing - A BK socket design which supports much of the weight through the patellar tendon under the kneecap
Quadriplegia The paralysis of all four limbs
Reduction Restoring broken bone ends (or a dislocated bone) to its original position
Residual limb The remaining part of the limb after amputation (the stump)
Sacral The lower portion of the back, just superior to the buttocks
Socket The part of the prosthesis (artificial limb) that fits around the residual limb
Suction socket A socket on an artificial leg that is held to the residual limb by the suction of negative pressure maintained within the socket
Superior Refers to the head or upper body regions
Supination  The outward rotation of the forearm causing palms to face anteriorly
Symes Amputation of all but one of the foot bones
Tendon Cord of dense fibrous tissue attaching a muscle to a bone
Total contact Total contact between the limb and socket at all points
Transfemoral (TF)(AK) Amputation above the knee
Transhumeral (TH)(AE) Amputation above the elbow
Transmetatarsal Amputation of approximately 1/2 of the foot
Transradial (tr)(BE) Amputation below the elbow
Transtibial (TT)(BK) Amputation below the knee
Transverse plane Plane that divides the body or its parts into superior and inferior portions
UE Upper extremity or limb
Valgus Frontal plane deformity of a joint in which the distal segment angulates away from the midline
Varus Frontal plane deformity of a joint in which the distal segment angulates in the direction of the midline