HO
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Heterotopic ossification |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | Ho |
HO has two meanings. It stands for Heterotopic ossification (musculoskeletal & rheumatology) or Holmium (chemical element).
Meanings of HO at a glance
| # | HO stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heterotopic ossification | Medical › Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology |
| 2 | Holmium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
1. Heterotopic ossification
Medical · Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations
Formation of mature bone in soft tissues where bone does not normally exist, such as muscles around the hip or elbow. It follows hip replacement, fractures, spinal cord and brain injuries, burns and blast injuries and can severely restrict motion.
Example: Brooker grade III HO around left hip after THA with stiffness; consider excision once mature.
The Brooker classification grades HO after hip replacement. Prophylaxis with indomethacin or single-dose radiation is used in high-risk patients. Myositis ossificans is a localized form after muscle trauma. A rare genetic form, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, causes progressive bone formation throughout the body.
2. Holmium (Ho)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
No naturally occurring element has a higher magnetic moment than holmium (atomic number 67), so it is used for pole pieces that concentrate the fields of the strongest magnets. Holmium:YAG lasers, emitting infrared light at about 2.1 micrometers, are used by urologists to break up kidney stones.
Example: Ureteroscopy with Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy fragmented the 9 mm stone.
Marc Delafontaine and Jacques-Louis Soret observed its spectral lines in 1878, and Per Teodor Cleve independently isolated its oxide around 1879. Cleve named it after Holmia, the Latin name for Stockholm, his home city. Holmium oxide solutions and glasses are used as wavelength standards for calibrating spectrophotometers.
Related abbreviations
More musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations
- GH – Glenohumeral (joint)
- GTPS – Greater trochanteric pain syndrome
- HLA-B27 – Human leukocyte antigen B27
- HNP – Herniated nucleus pulposus
- IMN – Intramedullary nail
- ITBS – Iliotibial band syndrome
- JIA – Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- LBP – Low back pain
See all 71 musculoskeletal & rheumatology abbreviations →
More chemical element abbreviations
See all 118 chemical element abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.