Ankylosis, << `ang` kuh LOH sihs, >> means a stiffening or a fusion of a joint, preventing motion. Ankylosis may result from infection or severe injury to a joint. It also may be accomplished surgically to eliminate pain, as in an arthritic joint, or to stabilize a loose joint, as in polio myelitis. Ankylosis of the knee, hip, shoulder, and most other major limb joints considerably diminishes the limb’s function. But surgical ankylosis to relieve pain or improve stability may increase limb function, particularly when the fusion corrects a deformity.
