Medical Glossary - Letter W

This medical glossary of terms beginning with the letter "W" contains the more common medical terms one might expect to encounter in a medical report or in hospital notes. The glossary is intended as a quick reference only; many of the terms are also referenced and illustrated in more detail in the medical libraries, to which you should refer for more detailed information.

Warfarin

An anticoagulant, a blood-thinning agent, used to treat, or prevent embolism (blood clotting)

Wedge Osteotomy

A wedge osteotomy is the removal of a wedge shaped piece of bone. This procedure is usually performed for angular deformities of the limbs, usually of the lower limbs

Whirlpool Treatment

Whirlpool treatment is a form of hydrotherapy. The individual is submerged in water for the purpose of exercise, or for increasing circulation or wound cleansing

Wrist

The carpus or bones of the wrist consists of eight bones called carpal bones, which are arranged into two transverse rows (proximal and distal rows) consisting of four bones per row. The proximal row (the row nearest the distal ends of the radius and ulna) from the thumb side of the hand to the little finger is the scaphoid (also known as the navicular), lunate, triquetrum (also known as the triangular) and the pisiform. The distal row (the row nearest the metatarsals of the hand) from the thumb side of the hand to the little finger is the trapezium, (also known as the greater multangular), trapezoid (also known as the lesser multangular), capitate and hamate