FACET - A posterior structure of a vertebra which articulates with
a facet of an adjacent vertebra to form a facet joint that allows
motion in the spinal column. Each vertebra has two superior and two
inferior facets. The vertebrae connect with a disc in front and two
facet joints in back.
FALSE NEGATIVE RESULT: A negative result in a patient with a disorder.
FALSE POSITIVE RESULT: A positive result in a person who does not
have the disorder.
FALSE-NEGATIVE RATE (FNR): The likelihood of a negative test in a
patient with a disorder.
FALSE-POSITIVE RATE (FPR): The likelihood of a positive test in a
patient without a disorder.
FATIGUE FRACTURE - A fracture that occurs in bone or in other materials
as a result of repeated stress as opposed to a single injury.
FIBROSIS - The replacement of normal tissue with scar tissue.
FILM/SCREEN SPEED SYSTEMS: Film intensifying screens are assigned
a speed by the manufacturer and combinations of these yield a total
system speed ranging from 80 to 1200 with par being 100.
FLEXION-DISTRACTION TECHNIQUE - A spine traction based method which
distracts apart the vertebrae. In theory, and with limited evidence,
it can pull in a bulging intervertebral disc away from the spinal
cord and spinal nerves. This technique incorporates a special table
that hydraulically disengages and flexes downward and moves side to
side while the spine is distracted.
FONTANELLE - Normal openings in the skull of infants; the largest
of these is the anterior fontanel or "soft spot" in the
middle of the head.
FORAMEN - A natural opening or passage in bone.
FORAMINOTOMY - Surgical opening or enlargement of the bony opening
traversed by a nerve root as it leaves the spinal canal.
FRACTURE A direct break in the normal continuity of bone.
FREQUENCY OF CARE: The number of times a patient is treated over a
given period and the interval between treatments.