Question

which of the following terms means surgical crushing of a stone?
a lithotripsy
b lithotomy
c lithomegaly
d lithomalacia

Explanation:

• Lithotripsy: The prefix "litho -" means stone, and "tripsy" means crushing. So, lithotripsy is the surgical crushing of a stone.
• Lithotomy: The suffix "-tomy" means incision. Lithotomy is an incision for the removal of a stone.
• Lithomegaly: The suffix "-megaly" means enlargement. Lithomegaly would imply an enlarged stone (not a standard term in common medical usage in this context compared to the others).
• Lithomalacia: The suffix "-malacia" means softening. Lithomalacia would mean softening of a stone.

Answer:

A. lithotripsy