What does sequestrum mean?
A sequestrum is, most commonly, a fragment of dead bone that has become separated from the healthy bone around it. This can occur when infection or a loss of blood supply prevents the affected tissue from receiving nutrients and repairing itself. In medicine, the word often appears in discussions of osteomyelitis and in accounts of surgery involving the removal of dead bone. It can also have a specialized legal meaning: property or money placed under sequestration is held apart from its ordinary owner or control until a dispute has been settled. The word comes from Latin and literally refers to something set aside. Its medical sense is vivid because a sequestrum is both detached and no longer part of the living body, making it a useful example of the precise vocabulary used by medicine and law.
A piece of dead bone that has become detached from the surrounding living bone, commonly as a complication of infection or inadequate blood supply.
"Chronic osteomyelitis produced a sequestrum that required surgical removal."
This is a specialized medical term and is not a general synonym for any loose or detached bone.
Property or funds held apart under legal sequestration.
"The court ordered the disputed property to remain a sequestrum pending judgment."
This legal sense is uncommon outside formal legal contexts.
The plural is sequestra; when it has the article, the usual form is sequeastra or sequestra respectively, depending on pronunciation and context.
"The surgeon identified two sequestra during the operation."
A sequestrum is the body's stark reminder that even bone can become separated from the living tissue around it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sequestrum come from?
Sequestrum comes from Latin sequestrum, meaning something set apart or held in reserve. The underlying verb, sequestrare, meant to remove something from ordinary use or possession, especially for safekeeping. Latin sequestrum was borrowed into English first in legal contexts and later, by the 18th century, was also applied medically to a separated piece of dead bone. The related English words sequestration, sequestrate, and sequester continue the sense of setting something apart.
Related word forms
How sequestrum is actually used
The medical sense is specialized and is normally used in discussions of osteomyelitis, chronic infection, or dead bone. The legal sense is uncommon in general English.
Easily confused with sequestrum
A sequestrum is the detached piece of dead bone itself, whereas sequestration is the process of isolating or holding something apart, including the legal confinement of property or funds.
A sequestrum is a noun naming a separated object, especially dead bone, while sequester is normally a verb meaning to set something apart.