arthrocentesis
noun
ar·thro·cen·te·sis
ˌär-(ˌ)thrō-sen-ˈtē-səs
plural arthrocenteses
-ˌsēz
: surgical puncture of a joint especially for aspiration of fluid from the joint
Arthrocentesis of the right elbow joint was performed in the emergency department; the aspirate was orange-tinted, with 17,250 white cells per cubic millimeter …—Benjamin T. Davis and Mark S. Pasternack, The New England Journal of Medicine
I asked him to do an arthrocentesis—put a needle in the ankle and get a sample of the suspicious fluid causing the swelling.—Rahul Parikh, The Los Angeles Times
Cite this Entry
“Arthrocentesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/arthrocentesis. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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