Anatomical and clinical terminology

1. Ordinal numerals and anatomical structures

In anatomy, ordinal numbers are actively used to number similar structures. For example, the ribs are designated in order: the first rib is costa prima, the second is costa secunda, the third is costa tertia and the fourth is costa quarta. A similar principle applies to the fingers of the hand, the counting of which traditionally starts from the thumb. Thus, the thumb is called pollex or digitus primus, the index finger is index or digitus secundus, the middle is digitus medius (digitus tertius), the ring finger is digitus anularis (digitus quartus), and the little finger is digitus minimus (digitus quintus). The wisdom tooth in dental practice is described as the third molar — dens serotinus (molaris tertius).

In addition to simple numerals, the nomenclature of muscles uses complex terms indicating the number of heads or bellies. It is important for students to memorize the biceps brachii (musculus biceps brachii), the triceps plantae (musculus triceps plantae) and triceps surae (musculus triceps surae), the quadriceps femoris (musculus quadriceps femoris), and the digastric muscle (musculus digastricus).

2. Adjectives and participles in anatomical nomenclature

To indicate whether structures and processes are primary or secondary, corresponding adjectives are used. Normal findings include primary and secondary tendon bundles (fasciculus tendineus primarius et secundarius), the secondary hemocapillary network (rete haemocapillare secundarium), and the secondary tonsillar crypt (crypta tonsillaris secundaria).

The direction of vessels and pathways is frequently conveyed by participles. The efferent lymphatic vessel is translated as vas lymphaticum efferens, the descending colon as colon descendens, and perforating branches as rami perforantes. The shape of structures can be described by prefixes denoting "half": semilunar hiatus (hiatus semilunaris), semispinalis capitis muscle (musculus semispinalis capitis), or anterior semicircular canal (canalis semicircularis anterior).

3. Characteristics of the disease course

Clinical terminology relies heavily on participles that characterize the dynamics of pathology.

• Initial and latent processes: incipient dental caries is described as caries dentis incipiens, and latent diabetes as diabetes latens.
• Recurrent and intermittent conditions: recurrent appendicitis — appendicitis recurrens, intermittent fever — febris intermittens, alternating arrhythmia — arrhythmia alternans.
• Spread of the process: wandering kidney — ren migrans, multiple sclerosis — sclerosis disseminata, progressive facial hemiatrophy — hemiatrophia faciei progressiva.
• Destructive changes: obliterans bronchitis — bronchitis obliterans, deformans spondylosis — spondylosis deformans.

Participles are also used to classify paralyses: ascending (paralysis ascendens), disseminated (paralysis disseminata), and shaking (paralysis agitans). Obstetric practice distinguishes stages of abortion: threatened (abortus imminens), inevitable/incipient (abortus incipiens), and complete (abortus completus).

4. Injuries, defects, and complications

When formulating diagnoses, it is important to indicate the origin of the defect. Heart defects or alopecia can be congenital (vitium cordis congenitum, alopecia congenita) or acquired (vitium cordis acquisitum, cysta acquisita).

Traumatology and surgery require precise detailing of injuries:

• Closed conditions are designated by the adjective clausus (e.g., fractura clausa, trauma clausum), closed obturated pulpitis — pulpitis obturata.
• Open conditions are marked by the term apertus (fractura aperta, trauma apertum, pulpitis aperta).

Specific fractures occur: comminuted (fractura comminuta), impacted (fractura impacta), and perforated (fractura perforata). Wounds can be puncture wounds (vulnus punctum).

If the disease is of a mixed nature, the term mixtus is used (glaucoma mixtum). When secondary pathologies join, the condition becomes complicated — complicatus (e.g., cataracta complicata, ulcus complicatum). The ulcer itself may be serping (ulcus serpens) or penetrating (ulcus penetrans). Profuse conditions, such as gastric hemorrhage, are described by the term profusa (haemorrhagia gastrica profusa).

Briefly: answers to topical questions

Class and exam questions

What else to study on this topic

• Terminology of dental diseases (caries, pulpitis, and their stages of development).
• Classification of paralyses and motor disorders (ascending, disseminated, shaking).
• Description of ulcerative lesions (serping, penetrating, complicated ulcer).
• Inflammatory processes of the respiratory system (varieties of bronchitis, pneumonic plague).
• Specific names of the muscular system based on the number of bellies and heads.

Other topics in the section "Termino-element Vocabulary (from meaning to TE)"

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