Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations
71 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Abbreviations for arthritis and autoimmune rheumatic diseases, sports injuries, ligaments and joints, spine conditions, fractures and orthopedic operations, as written in rheumatology and orthopedic clinic notes, MRI reports, operative notes and sports medicine coverage. Many come in families: knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL, LCL), finger joints (MCP, PIP, DIP) and joint replacements (THA, TKA). Some letters, such as AS, DM, OCD and SLE, also have unrelated meanings in other specialties, so entries explain how to tell them apart.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ACDF | Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion | Neck operation in which a surgeon reaches the spine from the front, removes a damaged disc and any bone spurs pressing on nerves or the spinal cord, and fuses the… |
| ACLR | Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction | Surgery that replaces a torn ACL with a tendon graft, usually through arthroscopic tunnels in the femur and tibia. |
| APS | Antiphospholipid syndrome | Autoimmune condition in which persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I) cause blood clots in veins or… |
| AS | Ankylosing spondylitis | Chronic inflammatory arthritis of the spine and sacroiliac joints that causes inflammatory back pain, worse with rest and better with exercise, typically starting… |
| AVN | Avascular necrosis | Death of bone tissue from interrupted blood supply, most often in the femoral head, leading to collapse of the joint surface and arthritis. |
| axSpA | Axial spondyloarthritis | Umbrella term for inflammatory arthritis mainly affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints, covering both radiographic disease (ankylosing spondylitis) and… |
| BTB | Bone-patellar tendon-bone (graft) | ACL reconstruction graft harvested from the central third of the patellar tendon with bone blocks from the kneecap and tibia at each end. |
| CES | Cauda equina syndrome | Surgical emergency caused by compression of the bundle of lumbar and sacral nerve roots below the spinal cord, most often by a large central disc herniation. |
| CPPD | Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease | Arthritis caused by calcium pyrophosphate crystals in cartilage and joints, mainly in older adults. |
| CRPP | Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning | Fracture treatment in which bone fragments are realigned without opening the skin, then held with smooth wires (K-wires) inserted through small punctures under X-ray… |
| CRPS | Complex regional pain syndrome | Chronic pain condition, usually in an arm or leg after a fracture, surgery or other injury, with pain far out of proportion to the original event, plus swelling, color… |
| CTS | Carpal tunnel syndrome | Compression of the median nerve in the wrist, causing numbness, tingling and pain in the thumb, index, middle and part of the ring finger, often worse at night. |
| DAS28 | Disease Activity Score in 28 joints | Composite measure of rheumatoid arthritis activity combining tender and swollen counts in 28 joints, ESR or CRP, and the patient's global assessment. |
| DDD | Degenerative disc disease | Age-related wear of the intervertebral discs, with loss of water content, height and cushioning, seen on imaging as narrowed, dark discs and bone spurs. |
| DDH | Developmental dysplasia of the hip | Spectrum of hip abnormalities in infants, from a shallow socket to a fully dislocated hip, detected by newborn exams and ultrasound. |
| DISH | Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis | Noninflammatory condition in which ligaments along the spine calcify and ossify, producing flowing bony bridges across at least four contiguous vertebrae, usually on… |
| DJD | Degenerative joint disease | Older synonym for osteoarthritis, still common in radiology reports, problem lists and billing. |
| DM | Dermatomyositis | Inflammatory myopathy causing symmetric weakness of the proximal muscles with characteristic skin signs: a violet heliotrope rash on the eyelids and scaly Gottron… |
| DMARD | Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug | Medications that slow or stop the immune-driven joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases, unlike painkillers, which only relieve symptoms. |
| DRF | Distal radius fracture | Break of the radius near the wrist, among the most common fractures, typically from a fall on an outstretched hand. |
| ESI | Epidural steroid injection | Injection of corticosteroid and often local anesthetic into the epidural space around inflamed spinal nerve roots, usually under fluoroscopic guidance, to relieve… |
| FAI | Femoroacetabular impingement | Abnormal contact between the femoral head-neck junction and the hip socket caused by extra bone on the femur (cam), the acetabulum (pincer) or both. |
| FM | Fibromyalgia | Chronic condition of widespread pain with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep and cognitive symptoms ("fibro fog"), thought to involve altered pain processing in the nervous… |
| FOOSH | Fall on outstretched hand | Common injury mechanism in which a person lands on an extended wrist, transmitting force up the arm. |
| FRAX | Fracture Risk Assessment Tool | Online calculator that estimates a person's 10-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture and of hip fracture from age, sex, weight, height, prior fracture… |
| GCA | Giant cell arteritis | Vasculitis of large and medium arteries in people over 50, classically the temporal arteries, causing new headache, scalp tenderness, jaw pain on chewing and fever. |
| GH | Glenohumeral (joint) | The ball-and-socket shoulder joint between the head of the humerus and the glenoid of the scapula, the most mobile joint in the body and the major joint most often… |
| GTPS | Greater trochanteric pain syndrome | Lateral hip pain over the bony prominence of the femur, usually caused by tendinopathy of the gluteus medius and minimus rather than true bursitis. |
| HLA-B27 | Human leukocyte antigen B27 | Genetic marker on white cells strongly associated with ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthritides, reactive arthritis and acute anterior uveitis. |
| HNP | Herniated nucleus pulposus | Displacement of the soft inner core of an intervertebral disc through its outer ring, which can press on nerve roots and cause radiating arm or leg pain (radiculopathy). |
| HO | Heterotopic ossification | Formation of mature bone in soft tissues where bone does not normally exist, such as muscles around the hip or elbow. |
| IMN | Intramedullary nail | Metal rod inserted into the hollow center of a long bone, typically the femur or tibia, to stabilize shaft fractures while allowing early movement and weight bearing. |
| ITBS | Iliotibial band syndrome | Overuse injury causing sharp pain on the outer side of the knee in runners and cyclists, from friction or compression where the iliotibial band crosses the lateral… |
| JIA | Juvenile idiopathic arthritis | The most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, defined as arthritis of unknown cause starting before age 16 and lasting at least six weeks. |
| LBP | Low back pain | Pain between the lower ribs and the buttock creases, the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. |
| LCPD | Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease | Childhood hip disorder in which the blood supply to the femoral head is temporarily interrupted, causing the bone to die, collapse and gradually remodel. |
| LSS | Lumbar spinal stenosis | Narrowing of the lower spinal canal, usually from age-related disc bulging, facet joint enlargement and ligament thickening, which compresses nerve roots. |
| MCTD | Mixed connective tissue disease | Overlap syndrome combining features of lupus, systemic sclerosis and polymyositis, defined by high levels of anti-U1 RNP antibodies. |
| MSU | Monosodium urate | Crystal form of uric acid that deposits in joints and soft tissues in gout, triggering intensely painful inflammation. |
| MTSS | Medial tibial stress syndrome | Exercise-related pain along the inner border of the lower shin, commonly called shin splints, seen in runners, dancers and military recruits. |
| MUA | Manipulation under anesthesia | Procedure in which a joint is moved forcefully through its range of motion while the patient is anesthetized, to break up scar tissue. |
| NOF | Neck of femur (fracture) | British term for a hip fracture through the femoral neck, usually after a fall in an older person with osteoporosis. |
| OA | Osteoarthritis | The most common form of arthritis, a whole-joint disease in which cartilage breaks down and bone, ligaments and joint lining remodel, causing pain, stiffness and… |
| OCD | Osteochondritis dissecans | Joint condition in which a segment of bone beneath the cartilage loses blood supply and may separate, most often in the knee, elbow or ankle of active children and… |
| OI | Osteogenesis imperfecta | Inherited connective tissue disorder, usually caused by mutations in the type I collagen genes COL1A1 or COL1A2, that makes bones fragile and prone to fracture with… |
| ORIF | Open reduction and internal fixation | Orthopedic operation that exposes a broken bone, realigns the fragments (reduction) and holds them with plates, screws, rods or wires (internal fixation). |
| PFPS | Patellofemoral pain syndrome | Pain around or behind the kneecap that worsens with stairs, squatting, running and prolonged sitting, among the most common causes of knee pain in teenagers and runners. |
| PJI | Periprosthetic joint infection | Infection involving a joint replacement and surrounding tissue, among the most serious complications of arthroplasty, occurring after about 1–2 percent of primary… |
| PM | Polymyositis | Inflammatory muscle disease causing symmetric proximal weakness and elevated creatine kinase without the skin rash of dermatomyositis. |
| PMR | Polymyalgia rheumatica | Inflammatory condition of people over 50 causing aching and morning stiffness in the shoulders, neck and hips, usually with raised ESR or CRP. |
| PRP | Platelet-rich plasma | Concentrate of the patient's own platelets, prepared by spinning a blood sample in a centrifuge, that is injected into tendons, joints or skin to promote healing. |
| PsA | Psoriatic arthritis | Inflammatory arthritis that develops in up to about 30 percent of people with psoriasis, affecting joints, the spine, tendons and ligament attachments. |
| RA | Rheumatoid arthritis | Chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joint lining (synovium), typically causing symmetric pain, swelling and prolonged morning stiffness in… |
| RCT | Rotator cuff tear | Tear in one or more of the four rotator cuff tendons, most often the supraspinatus, causing shoulder pain, night pain and weakness lifting the arm. |
| RICE | Rest, ice, compression and elevation | Traditional first-aid approach for acute soft-tissue injuries such as sprains and strains, aimed at limiting swelling and pain in the first days. |
| RSA | Reverse shoulder arthroplasty | Shoulder replacement that reverses the normal anatomy, placing a ball on the socket side and a cup on the humerus, so the deltoid muscle can lift the arm when the… |
| SCFE | Slipped capital femoral epiphysis | Hip disorder of adolescents in which the femoral head slips backward off the neck of the femur through the growth plate. |
| SLAP | Superior labrum anterior to posterior (tear) | Tear of the top of the shoulder's labrum, the cartilage rim of the socket, where the biceps tendon attaches. |
| SLE | Systemic lupus erythematosus | Chronic autoimmune disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, brain and heart, with flares and remissions. |
| SS | Sjögren's syndrome | Autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the tear and salivary glands, causing dry eyes and dry mouth, often with fatigue, joint pain and sometimes lung, kidney… |
| SSc | Systemic sclerosis | Autoimmune disease causing fibrosis of the skin and internal organs along with blood vessel damage. |
| THA | Total hip arthroplasty | Replacement of both the femoral head and the hip socket with artificial components, usually for end-stage osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis or certain hip fractures. |
| THR | Total hip replacement | Patient-friendly and British term for total hip arthroplasty, the operation that replaces the ball and socket of the hip with artificial parts. |
| TJA | Total joint arthroplasty | Umbrella term for total hip and total knee replacement, used in health policy, registries, hospital programs and research. |
| TKA | Total knee arthroplasty | Replacement of the damaged surfaces of the femur, tibia and often the kneecap with metal and plastic components, most commonly for severe osteoarthritis. |
| TKR | Total knee replacement | Common, especially British and patient-facing, name for total knee arthroplasty, in which worn knee surfaces are resurfaced with metal and plastic implants to relieve… |
| TLIF | Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion | Spine fusion operation performed from the back, in which a disc is removed through one side of the spinal canal and replaced with a cage packed with bone graft… |
| TOS | Thoracic outlet syndrome | Compression of the nerves or blood vessels passing between the neck and armpit, through the space bounded by the first rib, collarbone and scalene muscles. |
| TSA | Total shoulder arthroplasty | Shoulder replacement in which the humeral head is replaced with a metal ball and the glenoid socket is resurfaced with plastic, preserving normal anatomy. |
| UKA | Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty | Partial knee replacement that resurfaces only one compartment, usually the medial side, when arthritis is limited to that area and the ligaments are intact. |
| VCF | Vertebral compression fracture | Collapse of a vertebral body, most often from osteoporosis, sometimes after minimal trauma such as bending or coughing. |
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