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Glite Dictionary
thoracic outlet syndrome

thoracic outlet syndrome

1 7.5
Pain, tingling, or numbness in the arm and fingers caused by pressure between the collarbone and first rib
  • noun
  • /θəˈræsɪk ˈaʊtˌlɛt ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : síndrome de salida torácica
  • Many athletes suffer from thoracic outlet syndrome due to the repetitive stress placed on their upper bodies during training.

Examples

  • Doctors recommend specific exercises to help manage the symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, including pain and tingling in the arms.

  • He was dealing with neck problems, and then he had a rib removed because he was suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome.

    Blog text (34)

  • We all know that he had a rib removed as well as muscle tissue in order to alleviate symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

    Blog text (22)

  • Gaps in measurement testing remain in populations with UE amputations and thoracic outlet syndrome.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The start will be Carpenter's sixth since returning from a surgical procedure that removed a rib and neck muscles in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

    Blog text (28)

  • I have thoracic outlet syndrome, caused by simply wearing a backpack; shoulders and thumbs pop out and back in frequently, and hip sprains are ubiquitous. These things happen so often that I have a standing prescription for naproxen to avoid constant visits to the doctor.

    Blog text (3)

  • After years of discomfort, she was finally diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which explained the numbness in her fingers.

Surface Forms

thoracic outlet syndrome singular
thoracic outlet syndromes plural

Morphology

thoracic + outlet + syndrome

The phrase is largely compositional: 'thoracic' (chest) + 'outlet' (opening) + 'syndrome' (set of symptoms) allows a learner to infer it is a medical condition involving a chest opening. However, the specific pathology (compression of nerves/blood vessels between collarbone and first rib producing arm/hand symptoms) is technical and not predictable from the constituents alone, so full meaning requires specialist knowledge or exposure.

Etymology

Thoracic outlet syndrome comes from the idea of a small opening in the upper chest: thoracic means 'chest' and the outlet is the place where nerves and blood vessels leave the chest. If that narrow space is 'squeezed', the nerves or vessels are pressed and a person feels pain, tingling or numbness down the arm, so the name tells us what the problem is.