Fibrocartilage: From 1 Different Sources
n. a tough kind of *cartilage in which there are dense bundles of fibres in the matrix. It is found in the intervertebral discs and pubic symphysis.
n. a slightly movable joint in which the bony surfaces are separated by fibrocartilage (see symphysis) or hyaline cartilage (see synchondrosis).... amphiarthrosis
(spinal column, spine, vertebral column) n. a flexible bony column extending from the base of the skull to the small of the back. It encloses and protects the spinal cord, articulates with the skull (at the atlas), ribs (at the thoracic vertebrae), and hip girdle (at the sacrum), and provides attachment for the muscles of the back. It is made up of individual bones (see vertebra) connected by discs of fibrocartilage (see intervertebral disc) and bound together by ligaments. The backbone of a newborn baby contains 33 vertebrae: seven cervical (neck), 12 thoracic (chest), five lumbar (lower back), five sacral (hip), and four coccygeal. In the adult the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae become fused into two single bones (sacrum and coccyx, respectively); the adult vertebral column therefore contains 26 bones (see illustration). Anatomical name: rachis.... backbone
n. the appearance of calcific material in joint cartilage, most commonly an incidental finding on X-ray of the knees in elderly patients and usually causing no symptoms. Calcification of cartilage may also be seen at the shoulder and in the fibrocartilage of the wrist. It may be associated with osteoarthritis. It is also seen less commonly in several other disorders, including Wilson’s disease, pseudogout, hyperparathyroidism, hypothyroidism, and haemochromatosis.... chondrocalcinosis
the flexible plate of fibrocartilage that connects any two adjacent vertebrae in the backbone. At birth the central part of the disc – the nucleus pulposus – consists of a gelatinous substance, which gradually becomes replaced by cartilage with age. The intervertebral discs account for one quarter of the total length of the backbone; they act as shock absorbers, protecting the brain and spinal cord from the impact produced by running and other movements. A tear in the outer fibrous portion of the disc results in displacement of the nucleus pulposus to varying degrees: protrusion, prolapse (see prolapsed intervertebral disc), extrusion, or sequestration.... intervertebral disc
n. 1. a joint in which the bones are separated by fibrocartilage, which minimizes movement and makes the bony structure rigid. Examples are the pubic symphysis (the joint between the pubic bones of the pelvis) and the joints of the backbone, which are separated by intervertebral discs (see illustration). 2. the line that marks the fusion of two bones that were separate at an early stage of development, such as the symphysis of the *mandible. —symphysial or symphyseal adj.... symphysis
Health Encyclopedia