Anglický jazyk

4.3 Medical English - The skeleton

The skeleton is the bony framework that ensures the firmness of a human body. The skeleton of an adult consists of more than 200 bones. A typical long bone such as the humerus or thigh bone has two ends which are wider than the middle part and are covered by articular cartilage. The middle part is called the shaft or diaphysis and it is covered by a membrane called periosteum. Inside the bone, there is a cavity filled with bone marrow. The point where two bones meet is a joint or articulation. Striated = voluntary muscles contract and relax to ensure movement.
The joint cavity is enclosed by the capsule which consists of strong fibrous tissue. The inside of the cavity is lined by synovial membrane, which secretes a viscous fluid. This and the articular cartileges are necessary for the joint to move with ease.
Names of bones come from Latin but many have English names, too. Look at the table to learn more.
 
Latin name
English name
český název
cranium
skull
lebka
mandible
jaw bone
čelist
vertebral column
spine, backbone
páteř
sternum
breastbone
hrudní kost
costa
rib
žebro
clavicle
collarbone
kost klíčková
scapula
shoulder blade
lopatka
femur
thigh bone
kost stehenní
patella
kneecap
čéška
tibia
shinbone
kost holenní
 
The skeleton can be divided in four main parts: the skull, the vertebral column, the ribcage, and the limbs skeleton.
The skull contains 22 bones and can be divided in the bones of the cranium and the bones of the face. The spine is composed of 33 vertebrae which are divided into 5 regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal parts. The ribcage contains 12 pairs of ribs which are of three types: true, false, and floating ribs. The skeleton of the limbs contains the shoulder and pelvis girdles that attach the limbs to the trunk, and the bones of the upper and lower limbs.
  
 
cervical
krční
thoracic
hrudní
lumbar
bederní
sacral
křížový
coccygeal
kostrční
 
Sometimes bones might break. It can happen in sport, in an injury or accident such as a car crash, or due to a disease such as osteoporosis. This is a disease of older age when the level of calcium in blood starts to fall which results in bone loss.
A break in a bone is called a fracture. There are a couple of types of fractures.
  
 
Types of fractures.
Source: Glendinning a Howard, 2007, s. 40
 
A greenstick fracture means that the bone is bent but not broken. It occurs mainly in children.
A displaced fracture means that the broken pieces are separated.
A comminuted fracture means that the bone is broken into several pieces.
An impacted fracture means that the broken pieces are pushed together.
An open fracture means that the skin is open and the bone might stick out.
A pathological fracture might appear in a diseased bone. A stress or fatigue fracture is due to repeated minor trauma such as long-distance running.
 
When the fragments of a broken bone join together and heal, they unite. First, the fracture needs to be replaced – put in the anatomical position, and then fixed. Fixation can be external, for example by a plaster cast, or internal, for example by a pin or plate and screws. If a fracture heals displaced it might result in malunion which is an incomplete and incorrect union.
  
 
Fracture treatment.
Source: Glendinning, Howard, 2007, s. 40
 
ensure
zajistit
firmness
pevnost
articular cartilage
kloubní chrupavka
shaft, diaphysis
diafýza kosti
bone marrow
kostní dřeň
enclose
uzavírat, obalovat
viscous fluid
viskózní tekutina
with ease
jednoduše, pohodlně
due to
kvůli, na základě
fracture
zlomenina
greenstick fracture
subperiostální zlomenina
comminuted fracture
tříštivá zlomenina
impacted fracture
impresivní zlomenina
fatigue fracture
únavová zlomenina
heal
hojit
unite
spojit
plaster
sádra
plate
dlaha
pin, screw
hřeb, šroub
displaced
dislokovaný
result in
vyústit v
malunion
špatné spojení
 
Teeth are also bones. A baby grows milk teeth until about 6 years of age, after that they are replaced by permanent teeth. A complete set of teeth in one jaw includes 4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 premolars and 6 molars including 2 wisdom teeth.
The tooth has various parts. The crown of a tooth is the part above the gum, the root is the part embedded in a socket of the jaw bone. There is a neck between these two parts which is slightly constricted. Raised parts on the crown are called cusps.
Enamel is the material that covers the crown. It is the hardest substance in the human body. Dentine forms most of the tooth and is covered by cementum on the root. These materials resemble bone in structure but are harder.
The soft parts of a tooth are pulp and periodontal membrane. The pulp consists of connective tissue of a dense network of capillaries, lymph vessels and nerve fibres. The periodontal membrane covers the root and lines the alveolus where it serves as the periosteum.
If dental and oral hygiene is neglected, dental caries might appear. It happens when the enamel is damaged by plaque which is a sticky film of bacteria. Sugars and acids attack the enamel which eventually weakens until a cavity appears. It might lead to a complete decay of the tooth. Everyday brushing and flossing is recommended by dentists.
 
 
incisor
řezák
canine
špičák
premolar
třenový zub
molar
stolička
wisdom teeth
zuby moudrosti
crown
korunka
root
kořen
socket, alveolus
zubní lůžko
neck
krček
constricted
zúžený
cusp
hrbolek
enamel
sklovina
dentine
zubovina
cementum
zubní cement
resemble
podobat se
connective tissue
pojivová tkáň
pulp
dřeň
dense
hustý