distraction
Meaning of distraction: Distraction most often names a technique that shifts attention away from pain, though the term also describes the surgical separation of bone or joint surfaces.
Definition of distraction
Distraction, in its most familiar clinical sense, refers to shifting a person's attention away from a painful sensation or medical procedure, using an activity, conversation, or other point of focus. It is used as one supportive method for helping a person tolerate pain, alongside other approaches, particularly during brief procedures or in pediatric care.
The term also has an unrelated, mechanical meaning in orthopedics and radiology, where it describes the gradual pulling apart or separation of two bone fragments or the surfaces of a joint. This mechanical distraction can occur as an injury, when a fracture or joint is pulled beyond its normal alignment, or can be applied intentionally, as in distraction osteogenesis, a surgical technique that gradually separates cut bone ends to stimulate new bone growth and lengthen a limb.
Because these two uses of distraction describe entirely different processes, the surrounding context determines which meaning applies.
Used in a sentence
Imaging showed distraction of the fracture fragments beyond their expected alignment.
Good to know
Distraction as a pain-coping technique and distraction as a mechanical separation of bone or joint surfaces are unrelated concepts that share only a name, and confusing the two can lead to misreading a report or note.