What is the medical term for inflammation of bone and cartilage?

What is the medical term for inflammation of bone and cartilage?

• A. Osteoarthritis
• B. Osteoporosis
• C. Osteochondritis
• D. Osteomyelitis

Answer: (C)

Understanding medical terms built from root words helps you parse disease names. Here, osteo means bone, chondro means cartilage, and -itis signals inflammation. When the inflammation involves both bone and the adjacent cartilage, the term that fits is osteochondritis. Osteoarthritis describes wear-and-tear changes in a joint with cartilage degeneration and secondary bone changes, not primarily an inflammatory disease. Osteoporosis is a condition of reduced bone density and strength, not about inflammation. Osteomyelitis is an infection of bone.

Understanding medical terms built from root words helps you parse disease names. Here, osteo means bone, chondro means cartilage, and -itis signals inflammation. When the inflammation involves both bone and the adjacent cartilage, the term that fits is osteochondritis.

Osteoarthritis describes wear-and-tear changes in a joint with cartilage degeneration and secondary bone changes, not primarily an inflammatory disease. Osteoporosis is a condition of reduced bone density and strength, not about inflammation. Osteomyelitis is an infection of bone.