#osteology

• Alveolon — A rare anatomical or paleontological term used to designate the elementary structural, functional, or geometric unit of an alveolar system or a jawbone provided with tooth sockets; an anthropometric or structural reference point correlated with the anterior margin of the alveolar process.
• Anostosis — A pathological condition or structural developmental anomaly characterized by the absence, cessation, or congenital defect in the formation and welding of the bony skeleton or a joint; a lack of the normal physiological process of ossification. In a narrow clinical sense, the term defines the structural failure of a fracture to heal or a massive delay in the fusion of the epiphyses with the diaphysis, affecting locomotor biomechanics.
• Apophysis — A natural, well-marked prominence of variable shape on the surface of a bone, usually serving as an attachment point for muscles and ligaments or as an articular surface; a bony process. In modern anatomical terminology, these outgrowths fulfill crucial biomechanical roles in distributing mechanical forces along the skeleton.
• Apophyseal — Pertaining to an apophysis, relating to a natural or anatomical bony prominence; located at the level of a structural outgrowth of the skeleton. In orthopedic and radiological practice, the term applies specifically to the articular structures of the vertebrae, describing surfaces, ligaments, or inflammatory pathological processes associated with the spine.
• Astragaloid — Resembling the shape or structure of an astragalus (the short ankle bone); an anatomical element, bony prominence, or biological structure that presents an irregular cuboid or convex appearance similar to the talus bone. As a noun, in historical or comparative writings, it denoted a small piece or a rudimentarily crafted bone used for structural purposes similar to ancient dice.