A surgical procedure involving the breaking or fracturing of a joint to relieve contractures or improve mobility.
From Greek 'arthron' (joint) + 'klasis' (breaking). This surgical term emerged in 19th-century orthopedic medicine when doctors deliberately broke rigid joints to restore function.
Sometimes doctors had to deliberately break a frozen joint to save its function—'arthroclasia' is brave medicine, using controlled damage to achieve healing, a practice less common now with better techniques.
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