Patient Care

Common Terminology:

TKA "Total Knee Replacement" - when a knee joint is surgically replaced with artificial parts.

THA "Total Hip Replacement" - when a hip joint is surgically replaced with artificial parts.

Hip Pinning - After someone breaks their hip, it is sometimes necessary to stablize the fracture using a metal plate and/or pins or screws.

ORIF "Open Reduction, Internal Fixation" refers to the surgical procedure used after someone has broken a bone. Most often this involves use of pins, screws, a metal plate or some other type of fixation device.

Lumbar Fusion - the lumbar spine is located in the lower back region. A fusion is a surgical procedure used to increase stability in the spine afer an injury or as a result of degenerative arthritis.

Laminectomy - Increased pressure to the disc or spinal nerves that exit through the spinal column sometimes experience pressure as a result of injury or degenerative arthritis. This may cause pain and weakness. A laminectomy is a surgical procedure designed to relieve the pressure on the spine.

WBAT - "Weight Bearing At Tolerance" means you may put as much weight on the extremity as you can tolerate.

FWB - "Full Weight Bearing" means you may put full weight on your extremity.

TTWB - "Toe Touch Weight Bearing" means you may only put a very small amount of weight on the extremity, generally only to help with balance.

PWB - "Partial Weight Bearing" means you may put some weight, but not full weight, on your extremity. Some doctors further define this by percentages, such as 25% of weight.

Flexion - means to bend

Extension - means to straighten out

TLSO - "Thoraci-Lumbar Spine Orthosis" is a brace that is sometimes used after back surgery, to provide support and stabilization during recovery.

Additional Resources:

• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Information about various orthopedic conditions and treatment

• National Arthritis Foundation Information about and treatment for arthritis

• National Institute of Health & Musculoskelatal and Skin Disorders Information about and research regarding arthritis

• Medline Plus A service of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute on Health (NIH)

• Help Guide A variety of resources including a list of services for seniors

• Family Resources Family resources available at Madonna