Rachiopexy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Surgical stabilization of the spinal column by fixing the vertebrae together with rods, wires, or other implants
2. A surgical procedure that anchors and secures the backbone so that the vertebrae are held firmly in place
3. An operation to fix the spine in position, usually to correct deformity or treat instability of the vertebral column

Etymology: Rachiopexy is a surgical term, and its parts are plain Greek. "Rhachis" meant the spine or backbone, and "pexis" came from "pēgnynai," to fasten or fix in place. Put together, the word names the operation of fixing the spine, usually by stitching or fusing vertebrae or soft tissue to hold them in position. The term is a modern medical coinage built from classical roots, not a word that ancient physicians used. English medical vocabulary of this type was largely assembled in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when surgeons routinely borrowed Greek elements to name new procedures. The exact first date of its appearance in print is uncertain, so the safest statement is that it belongs to that later medical tradition.