To become stiff or fused, or to cause joints to lose their mobility and become stuck together.
From Greek 'ankylos' (stiff, fused) + the verb-forming suffix '-ose'. This medical verb describes the process by which joints gradually become immobilized, either through disease progression or as a treatment method.
When doctors say a joint is 'ankylosing,' they mean it's progressively losing movement—the joint is literally gluing itself shut! In some extreme cases, doctors intentionally ankylose a spine to stabilize a dangerous injury, turning a flexible weakness into a rigid strength.
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