Rules of naming human joints?
September 25, 2009 11:22 AM Subscribe
Is there a source online for joint "naming conventions" with regard to human anatomy? Do such conventions exist?
Are there formal "naming conventions" for human joints? For example, why "carpometacarpal joint" and not "metacarpocarpal" joint?
This question came up in one of my introductory OTA/PTA (occ therapy and physiotherapy assistant) courses yesterday, and my prof wasn't sure. Thanks mefi-ers!
Are there formal "naming conventions" for human joints? For example, why "carpometacarpal joint" and not "metacarpocarpal" joint?
This question came up in one of my introductory OTA/PTA (occ therapy and physiotherapy assistant) courses yesterday, and my prof wasn't sure. Thanks mefi-ers!
By the way, the 1998 version is available on Google Books as a limited preview (i.e., you can search it and pull up a limited number of pages per day).
posted by jedicus at 11:36 AM on September 25, 2009
posted by jedicus at 11:36 AM on September 25, 2009
And finally I should mention that it's carpometacarpal joints in English because it's articulationes carpometacarpales in Latin. As to how and when that got decided, well, the book has a section on the history of the effort to standardize anatomical terminology, which dates back to 1887.
posted by jedicus at 11:47 AM on September 25, 2009
posted by jedicus at 11:47 AM on September 25, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for the links! I will definitely pass the book link along.
I guess I'm wondering about (probably dating back to the original formulation of the Latin "articulationes carpometacarpales" term, and others) whether there are any...maybe "rules" is a better way to describe it than "naming conventions". For example, "When naming a joint, always name the more proximal bone(s) first, drop the "-al" suffix and add "-o", and then name the distal bone" (hence "carpometacarpal"). Given the section you linked on the efforts to standardize terminology, I realize that documentation of any original "rules" decided upon may not exist.
I guess I'm thinking back to Chemistry, and all the rules for naming compounds, ions, etc. and wondering if something similar exists for anatomy.
posted by purlgurly at 1:47 PM on September 25, 2009
I guess I'm wondering about (probably dating back to the original formulation of the Latin "articulationes carpometacarpales" term, and others) whether there are any...maybe "rules" is a better way to describe it than "naming conventions". For example, "When naming a joint, always name the more proximal bone(s) first, drop the "-al" suffix and add "-o", and then name the distal bone" (hence "carpometacarpal"). Given the section you linked on the efforts to standardize terminology, I realize that documentation of any original "rules" decided upon may not exist.
I guess I'm thinking back to Chemistry, and all the rules for naming compounds, ions, etc. and wondering if something similar exists for anatomy.
posted by purlgurly at 1:47 PM on September 25, 2009
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posted by jedicus at 11:33 AM on September 25, 2009 [1 favorite]