spondylos

Spondylos is a term that originates from the Greek word spondylos, meaning vertebra. In contemporary English, it is not commonly used as a standalone noun. Instead, it appears primarily as the root spondyl- in medical terminology to refer to the vertebral column and its diseases.

The root spondyl- derives from the Greek spondylos and combines with a variety of suffixes to form terms related to the spine. Examples include spondylitis (inflammation of the vertebrae or spine), spondylosis (degenerative changes of the spine), spondylopathy (vertebral disease), and spondylolysis (a defect or stress fracture in a vertebra). Imaging terms such as spondylography also reflect this origin, describing radiographic studies of the vertebrae.

Outside of medical contexts, and in many modern texts, the standalone form spondylos is rarely used. If encountered, it may represent an archaic usage, a transliteration artifact, or a proper name in a different domain.

If you intended a different sense of spondylos—for example a taxonomic name, a historical term, or a concept from paleontology—please specify the field or source. A more precise article can be written accordingly.