laminectomy

American

[lam-uh-nek-tuh-mee] / ˌlæm əˈnɛk tə mi /

noun

the surgical removal of part of the posterior arch of a vertebra to provide access to the spinal canal, as for the excision of a ruptured disk.

laminectomy British

/ ˌlæmɪˈnɛktəmɪ /

noun

Also called: rachiotomy. surgical incision into the backbone to gain access to the spinal cord

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of laminectomy

First recorded in 1890–95; lamin(a) + -ectomy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Laminectomy, however, is indicated when there is reason to believe that the pressure is due to some cause, such as a blood-clot or a displaced fragment of bone, which is capable of being removed.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023