52. Bones

See also 14. ANATOMY ; 51. BODY, HUMAN .

acromegaly

Medicine. a disease resulting from abnormal activity of the pituitary gland in which bones of the extremities are enlarged. —acromegalic, adj.

agmatology

1. a branch of medical science that studies fractures.

2. a treatise on fractures.

atomy

Obsolete, a skeleton.

comminution

the breaking of a bone into small pieces.

cornification

organic change into a hornlike form.

craniography

the science of skull description. —craniographer, n. —craniographic, craniographical, adj.

diaphysis

the shaft section of a long bone. —diaphytical, adj.

diarthrosis

a joint or articulation, as that at the knee, which allows maximum movement.

exostosis

an abnormal calcareous growth on a bone or tooth. See also 319. PLANTS .

gargoylism

an abnormal physical condition characterized by extensive structural defects of the skeleton and by gross mental deficiency.

gomphosis

an immovable joint, the bone being fixed in its socket in such a way that it does not move.

lordosis

any abnormal curvature of the bones, especially forward curvature of the spine, resulting in a hollow in the back. —lordotic, adj.

luxation

1. the act of dislocating a bone or putting a joint out of position.

2. the condition of dislocation or being out of joint.

ossuarium, ossuary

a place or receptacle for the bones of the dead. See also 112. DEATH .

osteoclasis

the breaking of a bone either to correct a deformity or to reset a bone that has healed badly after a fracture. See also 50. BODILY FUNCTIONS .

osteography

the study of bones for descriptive purposes. —osteographer, n. —osteographic, osteographical, adj.

osteology

the branch of anatomy that studies the skeleton. Also called skeletology. —osteologist, osteologer, n. —osteologie, osteological, adj.

osteomalacia

softening of the bones resulting from malnutrition and the consequent loss of essential salts from the bones.

osteomancy, osteomanty

divination by the examination of bones. —osteomantic, adj.

osteometry

the measurement of bones.

osteopathology

1. study of diseases of the bones.

2. any disease of the bone. —osteopathologist, n. —osteopathologic, osteopathological, adj.

osteopathy

1. a disease of the bone.

2. a therapeutic system based upon the premise that restoring or maintaining health requires manipulation of the skeleton and muscles to preserve normal structure. —osteopath, osteopathist, n. —osteopathie, adj.

osteoplasty

the surgical practice of bone-grafting.

osteoporosis

the rarefaction of bone, resulting in abnormally porous and weak bony tissue.

osteotomy

1. the dissection or anatomy of bones.

2. the cutting of bones as part of a surgical operation. —osteotomist , n.

ostosis

ossification or the process of bone formation.

scapulomancy

a form of divination in which a shoulder blade is heated in a fire and the resulting cracks in the bone are consulted for omens. —scapulomantic , adj.

siagonology

the study of jawbones. —siagonologic, siagonological , adj.

skeletology

osteology.

spatulamancy

a form of divination by means of an animal’s shoulder blade. —spatulamantic , adj.

symphysis

the growing together or the fixed or almost fixed union of two bones, as the two halves of the lower jaw. —symphyseal, symphysial, symphystic , adj.

syssarcosis

the joining of two or more bones by muscle.

valgus

1. an abnormally turned condition of a bone in part of the human body, especially the leg.

2. the condition of being bowlegged.

bones In Luke 24: 39 the risen Jesus invites the eleven disciples and their companions to touch him and assure themselves that he is no mere ghost but possesses flesh and bones. It was, however, a body which could pass through the door (24: 36) and this is presumably why in the narrative the body, with its essential constitution of bones, could be mistaken for a ghost. Luke's narrative is to be complemented by Paul's belief (1 Cor. 15: 42–53; Phil. 3: 21) that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; Luke's story is perhaps to be regarded as an assertion that the risen Jesus is one and the same person continuous with Jesus who had ministered in Palestine.

bones. Two pieces of animal rib bone held between the fingers and rhythmically clacked—the 19th-cent. ‘nigger minstrel’ equivalent of the castanets.