A surgical procedure that fuses two bones together across a joint to eliminate movement and pain in that joint.
From Greek 'arthron' (joint) + 'desis' (binding together). This surgical term literally means to bind a joint together, developed as doctors sought ways to stabilize severely damaged joints.
Arthrodesis might sound like giving up on a joint, but it's actually brilliant for severe cases—by fusing the joint, you eliminate the grinding pain of bone-on-bone contact, and most people adapt remarkably well to not moving that specific joint.
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