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Glite Dictionary
countertraction

countertraction

1 8.6
A force applied in the opposite direction to a pull to keep a body part steady during treatment
  • noun
  • /ˌkaʊntərˈtrækʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contratracción

Examples

  • With his gloved left hand providing countertraction, Greg was about to make the typical Y-shaped.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • A gravity-assisted reduction maneuver or a traction-countertraction method is used for reduction.

    Academic text (2003)

  • In medical procedures, the nurse applied countertraction to properly align the fractured leg.

  • The doctor explained that countertraction is essential for stabilizing the patient's spine during treatment.

  • For effective healing, the therapist emphasized the importance of using countertraction while applying traction.

Synonyms

counterbalance
vscountertraction
7 5.4

A weight that balances a machine or object to keep it steady

is an opposing pull used to steady and align a limb during treatment
counterpressure
vscountertraction
  • Specialized
6.4

Pressure that pushes back against another force to balance or resist it

uses an opposing pull to stabilize or align a body part during treatment
counterpoise
vscountertraction
9.5

A person or thing that balances another one

is a specific opposing pull used medically, not a simple balancing weight

Antonyms

traction
  • Specialized
12 5.8

A steady pull on a broken bone to hold it still while it heals

How Strong

fixation
2 6.0
countertraction
  • Specialized
1 8.6
brace
85 4.0
support
141 1.4

Surface Forms

countertraction singular
countertractions plural

Morphology

countertraction = traction (transparent) = counter + traction

The meaning is directly derived from the productive prefix 'counter-' meaning 'opposite' plus the noun 'traction', yielding the opposite or opposing traction.

Etymology

Countertraction starts with counter- meaning 'against' and the part traction meaning 'to pull', the same root you see in tractor. So it literally means a pull in the opposite direction, and that's why doctors use countertraction to keep a limb steady by pulling the other way to hold bones in the right place.