mortise joint
- noun
- Specialized
:
articulación del tobillo
- A clear X-ray of the mortise joint helps diagnose fractures or dislocations in the ankle.
Examples
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Arthritis in the mortise joint can cause significant pain and limited mobility.
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The surgeon examined the mortise joint to assess the extent of the ankle injury.
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The mortise joint allows for smooth movement in the ankle.
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Doctors study the mortise joint to understand ankle injuries.
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A clear X-ray of the mortise joint helps diagnose fractures or dislocations in the ankle.
-
Arthritis in the mortise joint can cause significant pain and limited mobility.
-
The surgeon examined the mortise joint to assess the extent of the ankle injury.
Synonyms
436
1.0
The joint that connects the foot to the lower leg
1
2.5
The joint where the foot meets the leg and bends
The joint where the lower leg bones meet the top bone of the foot
A joint that lets small bones slide past each other without turning
How Movable
- Specialized
1
4.1
- Specialized
1
4.3
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from 'mortise' (a rectangular cavity that accepts a tenon) + 'joint' (a connection), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it is a joint formed by a mortise—a cavity receiving another part. However, the term is technical and the precise anatomical configuration (tibia/fibula with talus; gliding joint) is specialized knowledge, so the meaning is only partially predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Mortise joint is used in medicine because the bones of the lower leg and the top of the foot fit together like a wooden mortise holding a tenon. So in medical talk it refers to 'the ankle joint' where those bones lock together.