Glossary of Terms

For your convenience, we have compiled an alphabetical list of medical terms that are used throughout this website. If you have additional questions or cannot find the a word or term that you are looking for, please contact us.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A [ Top ]

acetabular

Pertaining to the acetabulum, the cup-shaped socket of the hip joint that is a key feature of the pelvis. The upper end of the femur (the thighbone) fits into the acetabulum to form a ball-and-socket joint.

arthroplasty

The creation of an artificial joint.
The surgical restoration of the integrity and functional power of a joint.

astrocytoma

A nervous system tumor that grows from astrocytes (supporting cells of the nervous system).

B [ Top ]

biopsy

The removal and examination of a sample of tissue from a living body for diagnostic purposes.

brain shift

When the positioning of brain tissue shifts after the skull has been surgically opened.

C [ Top ]

CAT Scan

Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them into pictures on a screen. The CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan can reveal some soft-tissue and other structures that cannot be seen in conventional X-rays.

catheter

A thin, flexible tube used in many medical procedures.

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

A watery fluid, continuously produced and absorbed that flows in the ventricles (cavities) within the brain and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord.

cholesteatoma

A benign tumor of the ear.

craniotomy

The surgical removal of a section of bone (bone flap) from the skull.

D [ Top ]

DBS Therapy

Medtronic’s Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy is a complete solution combining Activa^® Parkinson’s Therapies (that significantly improve motor function and reduce disability in patients suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease), with the precise navigation of the StealthStation^® System.

dystonia

A neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that force certain parts of the body into abnormal, and sometimes painful, movements or postures. Dystonia can affect part of the body including the arms, legs, trunk, neck, eyelids, face or vocal cords.

E [ Top ]

ENT

A common medical acronym for ear, nose and throat (i.e. ENT surgeon)

endoscope

An endoscope is a medical instrument with a light attached to the tip that is used to look inside a body cavity or organ. A medical procedure using any type of endoscope is called endoscopy.

ethmoid sinuses

The sinuses are air-filled spaces in your skull behind the bones of your face and forehead that open up into the nasal cavity. Ethmoid sinuses are located behind the bridge of the nose, between the eyes.

F [ Top ]

fiducials

Fixed reference points to which other objects can be related or measured.

fluoroscopy

An imaging technique commonly used by physicians to obtain real-time images of the internal structures of a patient.

functional neurosurgery

A type of surgery that is performed to alleviate movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, tremor and neuropathic pain syndromes.

G [ Top ]

glioblastoma

Specific malignant brain tumor. A glioblastoma is a tumor that is part of the astrocytoma cell line. It is considered a grade IV astrocytoma. A glioblastoma is a common brain tumor in adults diagnosed either with stereotactic biopsy or with an open craniotomy and partial tumor resection. Treatment often consists of radiation therapy and in some patients, chemotherapy. These tumors can cause different symptoms based upon their size and brain location.

H [ Top ]

hydrocephalus

An accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles (small channels or cavities) of the brain that leads to their enlargement and swelling.

I [ Top ]

image-guided navigation

A solution that matches diagnostic images to the patient’s real anatomy. This provides added precision for surgeons as they track instrumentation during the surgery, including the position and angle at which tools enter the body.

intra-operative MRI (iMRI)

An "MRI guidance" system available in operating rooms designed to function with an MRI scanner. intra-operative planning: The ability, created by navigation technology, for a surgeon to see real-time information - images or data - pertaining to the patient’s anatomy, enabling the surgeon to adjust the surgical plan as necessary.

J [ Top ]

K [ Top ]

L [ Top ]

lateral positioning

When the body is situated in a sideways position.

M [ Top ]

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A procedure in which radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer are used to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures can show the difference between normal and diseased tissue. MRI makes better images of organs and soft tissue than other scanning techniques, such as CT or X-ray. MRI is especially useful for imaging the brain, spine, the soft tissue of joints, and the inside of bones.

minimally invasive surgery

Specialized surgical techniques involving the use of precise instruments designed to decrease the size of incisions as well as spare surrounding tissue.

N [ Top ]

navigation

Similar to a global positioning system (GPS), navigation is a tool by which surgeons can track instruments in relation to a patient’s anatomy, track the anatomy itself, and quantify soft-tissue balancing during a surgical procedure.

neoplasm

A cancerous growth or tumor.

neuro-oncology

The branch of medical science dealing with cancer or tumors of the central nervous system and spine.

O [ Top ]

oncology

The branch of medicine that deals with tumors, including study of their development, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

orthopaedic

The branch of medicine concerned with acute, chronic, traumatic and recurrent injuries of the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints and ligaments.

P [ Top ]

pathology

The study of the nature of disease and its causes, processes, development and the functional changes produced by it.

percutaneous

Denoting the passage of substances, or a procedure performed through, small openings or unbroken skin.

petrous

One of three parts of the temporal bone that is located at the base and side of the skull. The petrous portion of the temporal bone contains the vestibulocochlear organ of the inner ear.

petrous apex

The tip of the petrous.

pituitary gland

The main endocrine gland located in the head that produces hormones that control other glands and many functions of the body, including growth.

prone positioning

When the body is situated lying face down.

Q [ Top ]

R [ Top ]

registration

Image registration is the process of establishing point-by-point correspondence between two images.

radio frequency (RF) waves

Radio frequency waves are created during the operation of magnetic resonance (MR). They may cause interference with other electrical components, so they require shielding.

resection

The medical term for the surgical removal of a tumor.

rhinorrhea

A medical term for a runny nose. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is the drainage of the fluid that surrounds the brain into the nose.

S [ Top ]

shunt/shunt placement

The most common surgery for the treatment of hydrocephalus (water on the brain), a shunt is a device that diverts fluid from the brain into the abdominal cavity where it is safely absorbed into the bloodstream. Shunt placement is the procedure that inserts the shunt into the body.

sinonasal

Pertaining to the nose or sinus.

sinonasal polyposis

The development of numerous polyps (growths that protrude from a mucous membrane) in the nose or sinus.

sinusitis

Chronic inflammation or infection of the nasal passages.

sphenoid sinuses

A hollow air space in the body in the upper region of the nose and behind the eyes.

spinal fusion

A welding process by which two or more of the small bones (vertebrae) that make up the spinal column are fused together with bone grafts and internal devices such as metal rods to heal into a single, solid bone.

StarShield^®

A movable, local RF shield prevents the need for entire OR shielding; prevents RF disruption with other technology.

StealthMerge™

Image fusion software that takes patient scans and merges them into one image for surgical planning.

stereotactic

A medical term referring to a system of three-dimensional coordinates used to locate the site to be operated on.

stereotactic frame-based procedure

A medical term for a stereotactic procedure that uses a lightweight frame attached to the head. The head is imaged to identify its target relationship to the external frame, and the three-dimensional coordinates of the target site for operation can be identified.

stereotactic frameless procedure

The same as a stereotactic frame-based procedure, except that imaging markers are attached to the scalp to determine the target site for the operation during image-guided surgery.

stylet

1. A fine wire that is run through a catheter (flexible tube) to keep it stiff and debris free.

2. a slender surgical probe.

supine positioning

Laying on the back or having the face upward.

surgical navigation

T [ Top ]

tomography

Any of several techniques for making detailed X-rays of a section of the body, while blurring out the images of other sections.

tip-tracking

A medical term for visually tracking the tip of a surgical instrument through computer imaging.

U [ Top ]

V [ Top ]

varus

The inward angulation of the distal (the end more distant from the torso) segment of a bone or joint.

valgus

The outward angulation of the distal (the end more distant from the torso) segment of a bone or joint.

ventricular

Of or pertaining to the ventricle (a cavity of a bodily part or organ; i.e. a chamber of the heart).

ventriculostomy

A procedure used to measure the pressure in your brain, or to drain out extra cerebrospinal fluid or blood from the brain.

W [ Top ]

X [ Top ]

Y [ Top ]

Z [ Top ]