What does -clasis mean in medical terms?

-clasis

Meaning: surgical breaking

Type: Suffix

A suffix goes at the very end of a word, after the root. On this page: what -clasis means, and real medical words that use it, each broken down into its parts.

Example words using -clasis

osteoclasis
osteo (bone) + -clasis (breaking) = surgical breaking of a bone
arthroclasis
arthro (joint) + -clasis (breaking) = surgical breaking of a stiff joint

Shortened forms

Charts and notes shorten long terms — see the Medical Abbreviations guide for the short forms you will meet in real records.

Please note: This section teaches the language of medicine — what word parts mean and how terms are built. It is an educational reference, not medical advice. For the meaning of a word in your own medical record, ask the clinician who wrote it.