{
    "matter": "VIL-12",
    "document_type": "Patent terminology definitions",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "term": "anchor",
            "definition": "As used herein, an “anchor\" refers to an apparatus, instrument, structure, member, part, device, component, system, or assembly structured, organized, configured, designed, arranged, or engineered to secure, retain, stop, and/or hold, an object to or at a fixed point, position, or location. Often, an anchor is coupled and/or connected to a flexible member such as a tether, chain, rope, wire, thread, suture, suture tape, or other like object. Alternatively, or in addition, an anchor may also be coupled, connected, and/or joined to a rigid object or structure. In certain embodiments, an anchor can be a fixation device. Said another way, a fixation device can function as an anchor. In certain embodiments, the term anchor may be used as an adjective that describes a function, feature, or purpose for the noun the adjective ‘anchor’ describes. For example, an anchor hole is a hole that serves as, or can be used as, an anchor.  In another embodiment, an anchor may be a hole or opening or a plurality of holes or openings."
        },
        {
            "term": "arthroplasty procedure and arthroplasty implant",
            "definition": "As used herein, an “arthroplasty procedure” refers to a surgical procedure for restoring and / or improving function and / or operation of a joint of a patient. An arthroplasty procedure can be done for a toe joint, ankle joint, knee joint, hip joint, arm joint, elbow joint, finger joint, or the like. In certain embodiments, an arthroplasty can include replacing, remodeling, resurfacing, or realigning an articular surface of a musculoskeletal joint by osteotomy or some other procedure. An arthroplasty procedure may be an elective procedure to relieve pain and/or restore function to a joint after damage by arthritis or some type of trauma. An \"arthroplasty implant\" is an implant used in an arthroplasty procedure."
        },
        {
            "term": "articular surface",
            "definition": "\"Articular surface\" refers to a surface of a structure that is coupled to, and may cooperate with, other structures of a joint of a human or animal to enable movement of structures of the joint."
        },
        {
            "term": "connector",
            "definition": "\"Connector\" refers to any structure configured, engineered, designed, adapted, and/or arranged to connect one structure, component, element, or apparatus to another structure, component, element, or apparatus. A connector can be rigid, pliable, elastic, flexible, and/or semiflexible. Examples of a connector include but are not limited to any fastener. A connector can be a slot, channel, tube, pipe, opening, or other structure the connects and/or joins two slots, channels, tubes, pipes, openings, or other structures."
        },
        {
            "term": "hallux rigidus (HR)",
            "definition": "\"Hallux rigidus\" (HR) refers to a disorder within the MTP joint of the big toe."
        },
        {
            "term": "joint or articulation",
            "definition": "\"Joint\" or \"Articulation\" refers to the connection made between bones in a human or animal body which link the skeletal system to form a functional whole. Joints may be biomechanically classified as a simple joint, a compound joint, or a complex joint. Joints may be classified anatomically into groups such as joints of hand, elbow joints, wrist joints, axillary joints, sternoclavicular joints, vertebral articulations, temporomandibular joints, sacroiliac joints, hip joints, knee joints, ankle joints, articulations of foot, and the like. (Search \"joint\" on Wikipedia.com Dec. 19, 2021. CC-BY-SA 3.0 Modified. Accessed Jan 20, 2022.)"
        },
        {
            "term": "lesion",
            "definition": "As used herein, a “lesion\" refers to any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by disease or trauma. (Search \"lesion\" on Wikipedia.com 20 Oct. 2021. CC-BY-SA 3.0 Accessed Dec. 1, 2021.)"
        },
        {
            "term": "metaphyseal",
            "definition": "\"Metaphyseal\" is an area of a bone where the diaphysis and the epiphysis come together.  Typically, this is an area of the bone that has active bone growth."
        },
        {
            "term": "metatarsophalangeal (MTP)",
            "definition": "The metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint is a joint between a metatarsal and a proximal phalangeal bone (phalanx) of a toe of the foot."
        },
        {
            "term": "osseointegration",
            "definition": "\"Osseointegration\" refers to the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of an implant. Said another way, osseointegration is functional ankylosis (bone adherence), where new bone is laid down directly on an implant surface and the implant exhibits mechanical stability (i.e., resistance to destabilization by mechanical agitation or shear forces). Osseointegration is the formation of a direct interface between an implant and bone, without intervening soft tissue. (Search \"osseointegration\" on Wikipedia.com Sept. 15, 2021. Quoting other sources. CC-BY-SA 3.0 Modified. Accessed Jan 21, 2022.)"
        },
        {
            "term": "osteochondral lesion (OCL)",
            "definition": "As used herein, an \"osteochondral lesion\" (OCL) is a lesion within the cartilage covering at least a portion of a bone at a joint."
        },
        {
            "term": "revision procedure",
            "definition": "\"Revision procedure\" refers to a surgical procedure in which the procedure's purpose is to change an aspect of a prior surgical procedure. A revision procedure may be performed to address infection, disease, a complication, or for a variety of other reasons."
        },
        {
            "term": "spacer",
            "definition": "\"Spacer\" refers to a mechanical device, apparatus, member, object, body, component, or structure, that is organized, configured, designed, arranged, or engineered to maintain a separation between two adjacent objects, surfaces, or structures."
        },
        {
            "term": "tether",
            "definition": "The term “tether” is used herein to mean any strand or flexible member, natural or synthetic, able to join or connect or couple two structures or components. In one embodiment, a tether can join tissue of a patient and/or to be anchored in a bone tunnel or to hard tissue and useful in a surgical procedure. A tether may join two structures either directly by connecting directly to one structure or directly to the other or indirectly by connecting indirectly (by way of one or more intermediary structures) to one structure, to the other structure, or to both structures. In certain embodiments, “tether” refers to a flexible line or flexible member of natural material, natural biological material, biomaterial, biomimetic materials, manmade material, or a combination of these either in a single tether, a composite tether, or a plurality of tissue tethers that extend in parallel and/or may be woven or bonded together. In certain embodiments, a tether may be long and thin. In certain embodiments, a tether may be planar and/or may be elastic or inelastic (rigid). Examples of a tether include, but are not limited to, a thread, a string, a polymer thread or line, a tendon graft, a ligament graft, a hamstring graft, soft tissue, a tendon, a ligament, a suture, suture tape, a woven tether, a fibrous material, a cord, and/or any of these in combination with each other, and the like."
        },
        {
            "term": "transosseous",
            "definition": "\"Transosseous\" refers to a structure, activity, action, or motion that crosses through bone or passes through bone."
        }
    ]
}