Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
ankylosis
A 13-year-old girl with ankylosis in both of her hip joints.
ankylosis
medicine
ankylosis, in medicine, stiffness of a joint as the result of injury or disease. The rigidity may be complete or partial and may be due to inflammation of the tendinous or muscular structures outside the joint or of the tissues of the joint itself. When the structures outside the joint are affected, the term false ankylosis has been used in contradistinction to true ankylosis, in which the disease is within the joint. When inflammation has caused the joint ends of the bones to be fused together, the ankylosis is termed osseous, or complete. Excision of a completely ankylosed shoulder or elbow may restore free mobility and usefulness to the limb.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.