| FACET, MEDIAL: |
A bony prominence on the vertebral arch which forms a joint
with similar projection on the upper or lower aspect of an adjacent vertebra. |
| FACETECTOMY: |
Surgical removal of a facet. |
| FACIOSCAPULOHUMERAL: |
Affecting the face, shoulder and upper arm. |
| FAILURE TO THRIVE (FTT): |
A chronic disorder of infancy and childhood characterized by growth
failure, malnutrition and variable degrees of the delay in motor and social
development. Possible causes of FTT are varied; illness, oral-motor feeding
and swallowing disorders, inadequate food resources and problems with parent-child
interaction. |
| FALLOPIAN TUBES: |
Structures between the ovaries and the uterus through which the egg
travels to the uterus. |
| FAMILIAL: |
Condition characteristic of some or all members of a family. |
| FASCIA: |
Sheet of thick-fiber tissue which surrounds the body beneath the skin.
Fascia also encloses muscles. Inflammation of the fascia is referred to
as fasciitis. |
| FEMUR: |
Thighbone. |
| FENESTRATION: |
Refers to the surgical creation of a new opening in the labyrinth of
the ear to restore hearing. |
| FERTILITY: |
The ability to have children. |
| FETAL DISTRESS: |
Change in fetal activity or heartbeat, or meconium-stained amniotic
fluid, indicating the fetus is in potential jeopardy. |
| FETAL MOVEMENT: |
Movement of the fetus in the womb. |
| FETOSCOPY: |
A procedure for examining the unborn baby using a needlelike camera,
which is inserted into the womb to videoscan the fetus for visible abnormalities. |
| FETUS: |
Term for an unborn baby from the end of the 8th week after conception
until birth. |
| FEVER: |
A fever is a body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37
degrees C.). It is usually measured with a thermometer. |
| FIBROSIS: |
Development of fibrous tissue in an organ. |
| FIBROVASCULAR: |
Degeneration of the fibrous content of the vascular system. |
| FIBULA: |
The smaller of two bones that run from the knee to the ankle. |
| FIBULAR HEAD: |
Upper end of the outer bone of the lower leg, felt as a prominence
of the outer part of the knee, just below the kneecap. |
| FINE MOTOR: |
Small movements. |
| FISSURE: |
A groove, cleft or furrow. |
| FISTULA: |
An unnatural opening between one organ and another or between an organ
and the outside of the body. |
| FLACCID: |
Flabby and soft. |
| FLEXION: |
Act of bending a joint. |
| FLEXION CONTRACTURE: |
A bent joint that doesn't extend. |
| FOLLICLE: |
Shaft through which hair grows. |
| FORCEPTS: |
Surgical instrument used for grasping or compressing tissue. |
| FORESKIN: |
The fold of skin which covers the head of a penis. |
| FRACTURE: |
A fracture is a break in the bone or cartilage. It usually is a result
of trauma. It can, however, be a result of disease of the bone, such as
osteoporosis, or an abnormal formation of the bone in rare congenital (from
time of birth) diseases, such as osteogenesis imperfecta. Fractures are
classified by their character and location. Examples of classification
include "spiral fracture of the femur", "greenstick fracture of the radius",
"impacted fracture of the humerus", "linear fracture of the ulna", "oblique
fracture of the metatarsal", "compression fracture of the vertebrae", and
"depressed fracture of the skull". Fractures are also named by the trauma
event that caused the bone breakage. Examples include "boxer's fracture"
of the metacarpal bone of the hand, "blowout fracture" of the bones behind
the eye, and "stress fracture" of the bones of tibia. Some fractures are
also named by conditions associated with the bone breakage. |
| FRACTURE, COMMINUTED: |
A fracture in which bone is broken into a number of pieces. |
| FRACTURE, COMPOUND: |
A fracture in which there is an associated open wound of the skin which
leads directly to the broken bone. |
| FRATERNAL TWINS: |
Twins that develop from two fertilized eggs and develop in two placentas.
Many times such twins do not resemble one another closely. |
| FRONTAL LOBE: |
The largest area of the brain that lies in the front of the cranial
cavity and is important for control of voluntary movement or activity,
and cognition and feelings. |
| FULMINANT: |
Rapid, intense and severe. |
| FUNDAL HEIGHT: |
The distance from the top of the pregnant uterus to the pubic bone;
measured to help estimate fetal age. |
| FUNDUS: |
The top part of the uterus. |
| FUNDUS OF THE EYE: |
The back or deep part of the eye, including the retina. |
