Which term describes the surgical fusion of a joint?

• A. Arthrodesis
• B. Arthritis
• C. Synovitis
• D. Nevus

Answer: (A)

Arthrodesis describes surgically fusing bones across a joint to eliminate motion and relieve pain or stabilize a damaged joint. The term combines arthro- meaning joint and -desis meaning binding or fusion, so it literally means binding the joint together. This can lead to a fixed, immobile joint known as ankylosis. The other terms refer to different conditions: arthritis is inflammation of a joint, synovitis is inflammation of the joint’s synovial lining, and nevus is a mole.