P
Pulmonary embolus
A pulmonary embolus is a blood clot shooting to the lungs, usually from a clot in the leg veins.
PVNS
PVNS is an abbreviation of 'pigmented villonodular synovitis'.
PWB
PWB is an abbreviation for 'partial weight bearing'.
Q
QALY
QALY is an abbreviation for quality-adjusted life year (or quality-adjusted life-year) and is a generic measure of disease burden.
Q-angle
The Q-angle is a measurement that gives an indication of the likelihood of excessive forces tending to pull the patella over to the outer (lateral) side. Page updated June 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Quadriceps angle
The Quadriceps angle of the knee is a measurement of the angle between the quadriceps muscles and the patellar tendon and provides useful information about the alignment of the knee joint.
Quadriceps atrophy
Quadriceps atrophy is the physical wasting of the quadriceps muscle.
Quadriceps inhibition
Quadriceps inhibition is a problem that may occur when the knee is very painful, triggering a reflex that inhibits the muscle from contracting. Page updated May 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Quadriceps lag
A 'quadriceps lag' or 'extension lag' is present when a patient cannot fully 'actively' extend the knee (straighten the leg using muscle contraction), but it can be fully 'passively' extended by the clinician. This implies that there is nothing obstructing the joint. Page updated June 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)
Quadriceps muscle
The quadriceps (or 'quads') muscle is the large muscle at the front of the thigh, and is composed of four heads. Page updated September 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)