discitis

9.7

Pain and swelling in the disc between two bones of the back

noun
/dɪsˈsaɪtɪs/

Specialized

: discitis

The patient was diagnosed with discitis, which caused severe back pain and discomfort.

And I've heard of doctors injecting stem cells into people's discs and then they get discitis and infection and that can just spiral very quickly.

Examples

And I've heard of doctors injecting stem cells into people's discs and then they get discitis and infection and that can just spiral very quickly.

Andrew Huberman
Discitis (bacterial) and osteomyelitis also occur.

Academic text (2005)
This can occur as localized abscesses or discitis.

Academic text (2005)
After his fall, he developed discitis, making it difficult for him to move without pain.
Doctors explained that discitis can result in inflammation and may require targeted treatment.

Surface Forms

discitis singular

discitides plural

Morphology

discitis = disc (semi-transparent) = disc + itis

The root 'disc' is clear, but the suffix '-itis' is a medical combining form meaning 'inflammation' that may not be familiar to average B1 learners.

Etymology

Discitis combines disc, the small 'cushion' between the bones of the spine, and the Greek ending -itis meaning 'inflammation', the same ending in arthritis and tonsillitis. So, discitis means 'inflammation' of a disc, which is why it usually causes back pain.