Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (osteo-)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

osteo- [ˈɒstɪə] - from Greek - bone, related to bones


Another nice and straightforward one. When you hear this prefix, your veterinarian is talking about your dog's bone(s).

The most well known, and sadly, one of the most common diseases many dogs suffer from, is osteoarthritis. This condition is a degenerative condition of bones AND cartilage in the joints.

Osteopathy is any disease affecting bones. Osteotomy is a surgical procedure involving cutting of the bones, such as common knee surgeries like TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) or TTO (Triple Tibial Osteotomy).

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) is a disease of the cartilage in the joints. Osteoporosis stands for porous bones, meaning bones with decreased density. Osteosarcoma (OSA) stands for most common bone cancer in dogs.

There are many more examples, but you get the picture.

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Related articles:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (spondylo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (cardio-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (cervic-)