A surgical procedure that fuses or anchors a joint, making it immobile to relieve pain or provide stability.
From Greek 'arthron' (joint) + 'kleisis' (closure or locking). The term describes the surgical goal of permanently locking a joint in position, contrasting with arthroclasia.
This is the opposite strategy of arthroclasia—instead of breaking a frozen joint, doctors sometimes permanently fuse it to stop the pain, a testament to how medicine often offers opposite solutions depending on the problem.
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