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subluxation

 
Dictionary: sub·lux·a·tion   (sŭb'lŭk-sā'shən) pronunciation
 
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n.

Incomplete or partial dislocation of a bone in a joint.


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Dental Dictionary: subluxation
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(sub′luksā′shən)
n

1. incomplete dislocation of a joint. 2. term applied loosely to the temporomandibular joint, indicating relaxation of the capsular ligaments and improper relationship of the joint components, resulting in cracking and popping of the joint during movement.

 
Sports Science and Medicine: subluxation
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Partial dislocation of a joint; movement of a joint beyond its maximum passive range so that the alignment between the joint surfaces is distorted. Unlike a complete dislocation, partial contact is maintained between the articulating bones. It is often a transient condition with the joint going back to its normal position without any special treatment, but sometimes a deformity persists. A subluxation of the collar bone at the acromoclavicular joint, as a result of a badly timed tackle in a contact sport, for example, commonly leaves a deformity if not treated properly. Subluxations often recur because they are usually linked with an inherent weakness of the surrounding structures or an anatomical abnormality.

 
Veterinary Dictionary: subluxation
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A partial dislocation. In the terminology of chiropractic, an abnormal positional relationship between contiguous vertebrae resulting in abnormal biochemical and neurological function.

  • angle of s. — in the Ortolani maneuver, the point at which the hip luxates. See also angle of reduction.
 
Wikipedia: Subluxation
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A subluxation may have different meanings, depending on the profession or specialty involved. It implies the presence of an incomplete or partial dislocation (Latin: luxatio)[1] of a joint or organ.

Contents

Medicine

A medical subluxation is an incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint or organ.[2] The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a subluxation to be a "significant structural displacement, and therefore visible on static imaging studies."[3] In the spine, such a displacement may be caused by a spondylolisthesis.

Orthopedics

An orthopedic dislocation of any joint will never need medical attention to help relocate or reduce the joint. Nursemaid's elbow is the subluxation of the head of the radius from the annular ligament. Other joints that are prone to subluxations are the shoulders, fingers, kneecaps, toes, elbows, eyebrows and hips affected by hip dysplasia. A spinal subluxation is relatively rare, but can sometimes impinge on spinal nerve roots causing symptoms in the areas served by those roots.

Ophthalmology

An ophthalmologic subluxation is called ectopia lentis, an ocular condition characterized by a displaced or malpositioned lens within the eye.[4] Although a relatively rare disorder, subluxated lenses are frequently found in those who have had ocular trauma and those with certain systemic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and homocystinuria. Some subluxated lenses may require removal, as in the case of those that float freely or those that have opacified to form cataracts.

Chiropractic

A chiropractic subluxation is called a vertebral subluxation. It is a concept defined by chiropractors as a relatively common condition in which a spinal vertebra has lost its proper juxtaposition with one or both of its neighboring vertebrae. While not as extreme as a luxation, chiropractors believe they interfere with the nervous system. The WHO considers the degree of structural displacement to not necessarily be "visible on static imaging studies."[3] Although research into the significance of the chiropractic vertebral subluxation is ongoing in chiropractic circles, the concept is rejected by mainstream medicine and progressive chiropractors.[5]

References

  1. ^ Definition: Luxation
  2. ^ Definition: Subluxation
  3. ^ a b WHO guidelines on basic training and safety in chiropractic, p. 4, including footnote
  4. ^ Ectopia Lentis
  5. ^ Campbell JB, Busse JW, Injeyan HS (2000). "Chiropractors and vaccination: a historical perspective". Pediatrics 105 (4): e43. doi:10.1542/peds.105.4.e43. PMID 10742364. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/105/4/e43. "... considered disease the result of spinal nerve dysfunction caused by misplaced (subluxated) vertebrae. Although rejected by medical science, this concept is still accepted by a minority of chiropractors.... Indeed, many progressive chiropractors have rejected the historical concept of the chiropractic subluxation in favor of ones that more accurately describe the nature of the complex joint disfunctions they treat.". 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Subluxation".  Read more