knee replacement A surgical procedure to relieve pain and increase function in people with severe damage to the knee joint. Knee replacement surgery may involve replacing the entire joint (total knee replacement) or only a portion of the joint (partial knee replacement). Damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of the knee joint are removed…
kneecap The patella, the small bone in the front of the knee. The patella is a little (sesamoid) bone, embedded in the tendon of insertion of the quadriceps muscle. If the patella is shattered beyond repair, it can be removed in an operation called a patellectomy and sometimes replaced with prosthetic material.
knock-knees An abnormal curve of the legs that causes the knees to touch or nearly touch while the feet are apart. The problem may arise in the bone structure, or it may develop gradually as a result of muscle abnormalities. Knock-knees can cause movement difficulties, muscle and bone strain, and pain due to overstress on…
knuckle The top of the flexed finger joint.
Koch postulates A set of criteria for judging whether a given microorganism is the cause of a given disease.
Kok disease See hyperexplexia.
Koplik spots Little spots inside the mouth that are highly characteristic of the early phase of measles (rubeola). The spots look like tiny grains of white sand, each surrounded by a red ring. They are often found on the inside of the cheek, opposite the first and second upper molars. See also measles.
Kostmann disease See severe congenital neutropenia.
keratotomy, radial A surgical procedure designed to flatten the cornea and thereby correct nearsightedness (myopia). It is called a radial keratotomy because the radial incisions in the cornea resemble the spokes in a bicycle wheel.
kernicterus A disorder that is due to severe jaundice in the newborn, with deposition of the pigment bilirubin in the brain that causes damage to the brain, potentially leading to athetoid cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision problems, or mental retardation. Also known as bilirubin encephalopathy.
Definition and Mechanism Kernig sign is a meningeal sign indicating possible irritation of the meninges due to conditions like meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or other causes of meningeal inflammation or increased intracranial pressure. Test Procedure Clinical Significance 🔹 Positive Kernig sign suggests meningeal irritation, commonly due to: 🔹 Why does it happen? Associated Signs Limitations
Keshan disease A condition caused by deficiency of the essential mineral selenium. Keshan disease is a potentially fatal form of cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle). It was first observed in Keshan province in China, and it has since been found in other areas where the selenium level in the soil is low. Treatment involves…