meniscectomy
1
9.9
Surgery to remove part or all of the soft cartilage in the knee
- noun
- /ˌmɛnɪˈsɛktəmi/
- Specialized
:
meniscectomía
- Patients typically recover quickly after a meniscectomy, allowing them to return to their daily activities.
Examples
-
The surgeon explained that a meniscectomy can help reduce pain and swelling in the knee joint.
-
Mr. Murphy is a 35-year-old in good health... ...admitted for a meniscectomy.
-
Arthroscopic partial meniscectomies
Academic text (2003) -
After suffering from knee pain for months, John decided to undergo a meniscectomy to improve his mobility.
Surface Forms
meniscectomy singular
meniscectomies plural
Morphology
meniscectomy = meniscus (semi-transparent) = menisc + ectomy
The structure is clear as 'meniscus' + '-ectomy', but the specialized medical suffix and term make it less immediately accessible to many learners.
Etymology
Meniscectomy comes from meniscus, a word for 'little moon' or 'crescent', and -ectomy, meaning 'cut out', as in appendectomy, so it means the operation to cut out the crescent-shaped pad in the knee.