verb
- to stiffen or fuse (a joint) so that it becomes immobile, especially due to disease or injury
Usage: medical/anatomical term; often used in passive voice
Examples
- The patient's spine began to ankylose after years of untreated arthritis.
- Severe inflammation can cause the vertebrae to ankylose together.
- Without proper treatment, the joint may ankylose and lose all flexibility.
- The disease ankyloses the joints gradually over time.
- Once the bones ankylose, surgery may be necessary to restore movement.