Taken from the Dallas Mavericks Media Guide and the Vancouver Media Guide

Glossary of Medical Terms

Abrasion: Any injury which rubs off the surface of the skin.
Achilles Tendon: The thick tendon at the distal portion of the calf 
 that connects the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle to the heel.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL): A primary stabilizing ligament
 within the center of the knee joint that prevents hyperextension
 and excessive rotation of the joint.  A complete tear of the ACL
 necessitating reconstruction could require up to 12 months of 
 rehabilitaion.
Arthroscopy: A surgical examination of the internal structures of
 a joint by means of viewing through an arthroscope.  An arthroscopic 
 procedure can be used to remove or repair damaged tissue or as a
 diagnostic procedure in order to inspect the extent of any damage or
 confirm a diagnosis.
Aspiration: The withdrawal of fluid from body by means of suction.
Atrophy: The wasting away of a normally developed organ or tissue due to
 degeneration of cells.
Biofeedback: The giving of immediate information to a subject about body
 processes (ei heart) which are usually involuntary.
Bursitis: Inflammation of a bursa resulting from injury, infection, or
 rheumatoid synovitis.
Callus: A mass of blood and granulation tissue (containing bone-forming
 cells) that forms around a bone end following a fracture.
Cartilage: Smooth, slippery substance preventing two ends of bones
 from rubbing together and grating.
Chondromalacia Patellae: The deterioration and softening of the articular
 cartilage of the patellae.
Contusion: An injury to a muscle and tissues caused by a blow from a
 blunt object.
Core Temperature: The inner temperature of the body.
Disc: A rounded flattened structure such as an intervertebral disc.
Dislocation: Complete displacement of joint surfaces.
Extensor: Any muscle that causes the straightening of a limb or other
 part.
Fracture: Break in continuity of a bone.  Types of fractures include 
 simple, compound, comminuted, greenstick, incomplete, impacted, 
 longitudinal, oblique, stress or transverse.
Gluteus: One of three paired muscles of the buttocks responsible for
 movements of the thigh - gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus
 minimus.
Hemoglobin: A substance contained within red blood cells, responsible for
 their color and binding and carrying oxygen.
Hyperflexion: The forcible bending of a limb to a degree greater than
 normal.
Ilio-tibial band: The tendon that connects the ilium to the tibia.
Ilium: The haunch bone - a wide bone forming the upper part of each side
 of the hip bone.
Inflammation: The body's natural response to injury in which the injury
 site might display various degrees of pain, swelling, heat, redness
 and/or loss of function.
Lateral Malleolus: The protuberance on the outer side of the ankle (the
 outer ankle).
Ligament: Band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone or bone
 to cartilage and supports and strengthens joints.
Lumbar Vertebrae: Five vertebrae of the lower back that articulate
 with the sacrum to form the lumbosacral joint.
Lumbosacral: Region of low back comprised of lumbar and sacral spine.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Imaging procedure in which a radio
 frequency pulse causes certain electrical elements of the injured
 tissue to react to this pulse and through this process a computer
 display and permanent film establish a visual image.  MRI does not
 require radiation and is very useful in the diagnosis of soft tissue,
 disc, and meniscus injuries.
Median Nerve: One of the main nerves of the forearm and the hand.
Meniscus: Crescent shaped cartilage, usually pertaining to the knee
 joint; also known as "cartilage."  There are two menisci in the knee,
 medical and lateral.  These work to absorb weight within the knee and
 provide stability.
Myositis: Any group of muscle diseases in which inflammation and
 degenerative changes occur.
Pectineus: A small adductor in the groin.
Rectus Abdominus Muscle: The long stright muscle that extends bilaterally
 along the entire length of the abdomen.
Rotator Cuff: The mergence of the tendons of the subscapularis,
 supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles.
Sacral Vertebrae: The five vertebrae that are fused together to form the
 sacrum.
Sprain: A joint injury.  A violent twisting, stretching, pulling or
 tearing of a ligament.  1st Degree - A stretching but no tear of a
 ligament.  Athlete my be able to continue to play or usually return
 to play in a few days.  2nd Degree - A partial tear of a ligament.  
 Bracing may be required.  Athlete will usually miss one to four weeks.
 3rd Degree - A complete tear of a ligament.  Depending upon ligament
 involved, bracing or even surgery may be required.  Athlete is usually
 out from three weeks up to twelve months depending upon course of 
 treatment.
Strain: A muscle injury.  The stretching, pulling or twisting of a muscle
 or tendon.  1st Degree - A stretching but no tear of a muscle or tendon. 
 Athlete may be able to continue to play or usually return to play in a 
 few days.  2nd Degree - A partial tear of a muscle or tendon.  Athlete
 will usually miss one to four weeks.  3rd Degree - A complete tear of a
 muscle or tendon.  Depending upon muscle or tendon involved, surgery 
 may be required.  Athlete is usually out from six weeks to six months.
Stress Fracture: A hair-line type of break in a bone caused by overuse.
Subluxation: The partial dislocation of a joint so that the bone ends are
 misaligned but still in contract.
Talus: The ankle bone that forms part of the sarsus.
Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendon and/or tendon sheath, caused by
 chronic overuse or sudden injury.
Tendon: Tissue that connects muscle to bone.
Thoracic Vertebrae: The twelve bones of the backbone to which the ribs are
 attached.
Ulnar Nerve: The inner and longer bone of the forearm.


A Guide to Personnel Procedures

Salary Cap
	At press time the salary cap was $24.3 million, pending a possible
upward increase in late Fall. (96-97)

Active List
	Each team must have 12 players on its active list.  A team may
from time to time as appropriate, but for no more than two consecutive 
weeks, have 11 players on its active list.  At no time is a team permitted
to dress fewer than eight players for a reqular season game or nine for
a playoff game.  During the offseason and training camp, teams may 
carry no more than 20 active players.

Injured List
	A player transferred to the injured list due to injury or illness
and who is replaced on his team's active roster, must remain on the
injured list for no fewer than five games.  The maximum number of 
players alowed on the injured list at one time is three.

Guaranteed Contract Date
	The contracts to all players become guaranteed on January 10.

Ten-Day Contract
	On or after the guaranteed contract date (January 10) and solely
for the purpose of replacing a player who has been placed on the injured 
list, a team may sign a player to a 10-day contract.  Teams are not
allowed to sign a player to more than two 10-day contracts in the same
season.

Trading Deadline
	No trades are permitted after 5 pm Dallas time on Thursday,
February 20, 1997 (the 16th Thursday of the season).

Trading First-Round Draft Choices
	No team may sell or trade its first-round draft choice, if the
results of such an exchange would leave the club without first-round
draft picks in any two consecutive drafts.

Waivers
	From August 15 to the start of the regular season, teams may 
claim waived players within 48 hours after notice.  Players waived at 
any other time, may be claimed within 10 days.  If no teams claim the
waived player, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.  If more than one
club claims a waived player, the player is awarded to the team with 
the lesser record.  A player claimed on waivers, may not be sold or traded 
to another team for 30 days (he can be waived).  The waiver price is
$1,000, payable to the NBA.

Free Agency
	Players become unrestricted free agents at the expiration of 
their contracts.  

Renunciation of Amateur Eligibility
	A person whose high school class has graduated shall become
eligible for the college draft if he renounces his intercollegiate 
basketball eligibility by written notice to the NBA at least 45 days
prior to the draft.  Prior to 45 days before the draft, teams may not
make direct or indirect contact with players who have remaining 
eligibility.  Clubs may contact players without remaining eligibility,
but may not discuss compensation.