artro

Artro is best understood as a combining form in medical terminology rather than a standalone term. It originates from the Greek arthron, meaning joint, and is used to form words that describe joints or procedures involving joints.

In English and many other languages, the combining form appears as arthro- or arthr-, with a linking vowel o introduced in certain terms to ease pronunciation, as in arthroplasty (joint replacement), arthroscope (instrument for visual examination of a joint), arthrocentesis (joint puncture). When the root is combined with other suffixes, several related terms emerge: arthrology (the study of joints), arthroplasty, arthropathy, arthralgia, and arthritis (the inflammation of a joint; note that arthritis uses the form arthr- + -itis).

The use of artro- without the linking vowel is less common in English but may be encountered in some languages or specialized nomenclature; it is not a distinct medical entity. Beyond medicine, "artro" may appear as a part of names or brand terms unrelated to joints, but such uses are incidental.

In summary, artro denotes the joint-related semantic field in medical terms and serves as the root for many joint-related conditions, procedures, and studies. See also arthrology, arthroplasty, arthroscopy, arthritis.