Kyphoscoliosis
/ˌkaɪfoʊˌskoʊliˈoʊsɪs/noun
A spinal deformity combining excessive outward curvature of the upper spine with lateral curvature and rotation of the vertebrae.
Did you know?Its two Greek components—kyphos, “hump,” and skolios, “crooked”—were combined in modern medical terminology to name two distinct geometric distortions of the spine.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyphos
“A hump or rounded prominence”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skolios
“Crooked, bent, or winding”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skolíōsis
“A bending or crooked condition”
19th Century
Medical Greek
kyphoscoliosis
“A combined kyphotic and scoliotic curvature of the spine”
Modern English
English
kyphoscoliosis
“A spinal deformity involving both outward and lateral curvature”