compression (redirected from compression/distraction methods)

compression /com·pres·sion/ (kom-presh´un)

1. act of pressing upon or together; the state of being pressed together.

2. in embryology, the shortening or omission of certain developmental stages.

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com·pres·sion (km-prshn)

n.

1. See condensation.

2. The state of being compressed.

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Compression

An increase in pressure from the surrounding water that occurs with increasing diving depth.

Mentioned in: Gas Embolism, Nitrogen Narcosis

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compression

[kəmpresh′ən]

Etymology: L, comprimere, to press together

1 the act of pressing, squeezing, or otherwise applying pressure to an organ, tissue, or body area. An intracranial tumor or hemorrhage may cause compression of brain tissue. Kinds of pathologic compression include compression fracture, in which bone surfaces are forced against each other, causing a break, and compression paralysis, marked by paralysis of a body area caused by pressure on a nerve.

2 the pressing or squeezing of substances together so that they occupy a smaller volume of space (e.g., compressing gas into a pressurized aerosol can).

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compression,

n 1. squeezing or applying pressure, often to remove liquids.
2. a type of somatic dysfunction in which two different structures or tissues are pressed together.@Sub-entries:

compression broadening,

n massage technique designed to encourage full muscular contraction by applying of gliding pressure across the muscle fiber.

compression component,

n a method of deliberately directing energy through a client's body by working the muscles and limbs through manual techniques such as pushing and pressing, squeezing and pinching, and twisting and wringing.

compression with manipulation,

n neuromuscular technique in which the practitioner picks up the tissue and then rolls or twists it between the thumb and fingers. The practitioner applies this technique after the tenderness in the tissue has been lessened by static compression and gliding strokes.

compression, SBS,

n condition in which the basilar part of the sphenoid is tightly held together with the basilar part of the occiput, thus limiting motion of the sphenobasilar synchondrosis. Also called
sphenobasilar synchondrosis (symphysis) compression.

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compression,

n the act of pressing together or forcing into less space.

compression molding,

n See molding, compression.

compression of tissue,

n See tissue, displaceability.

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compression

1. the act of pressing upon or together; the state of being pressed together. A specific example is compression plating in fracture repair.

2. in embryology, the shortening or omission of certain developmental stages.

3. see data compression.

Compression screws used in fracture repair in horses. By permission from Hinchcliff KW, Kaneps AJ, Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, Saunders, 2004

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compression band

pulled tightly across an animal on an x-ray table to reduce thickness, restrict respiratory movement and restrain the patient. Both ends of the band are fixed to the table and there is a mechanism for tightening it. May be used to apply pressure to an organ such as the urinary bladder to impede filling with excreted dye, but in other applications has the disadvantage of distorting organs and their disposition.

compression/distraction methods

a stress-radiographic method of positioning dogs for the assessment of hip laxity for the diagnosis of hip dysplasia. One radiograph is taken with the femoral heads compressed into the acetabula. The other position is with maximal lateral displacement of the femoral heads using a special device for leverage.

hourglass compression

in wobbler syndrome of Great Dane dogs, characteristic compression of the cervical spinal cord caused by hypertrophy of the annulus fibrosus, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum and degenerative disease of articular facets.

compression plating

an internal fixation method of treating fractures by the application of plates across the fracture lines and fixing them in place with specially designed screws. The objective is to provide extreme stability of the fracture. Properly designed plates of the correct size for the patient and the use of screws with maximum holding power make the system independent of any additional form of support.

compression plating device

a device that is connected to an already fixed end of a compression plate and then connected to the other bone fragment so as to obtain as complete compression as possible. Not commonly used when modern dynamic compression plates are utilized.

spinal cord compression

compression of the cord by a space-occupying lesion in the vertebral canal causes an upper motor neuron syndrome below and a lower motor neuron syndrome at the site of the lesion.

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compression

Clinical medicine Squeezing; pressure on a body or vital structure by 2 or more external forces, where the force is exerted by the bodies in a linear direction toward each other Telemedicine A process used to transmit graphic images by eliminating extraneous data and packaging the file into lean block of data that is de-compressed by the receiver Types Lossless, lossy. See Lossless compression, Lossy compression.