stereotactic

adjective

ste·reo·tac·tic | \ ˌster-ē-ə-ˈtak-tik

, ˌstir-\

Definition of stereotactic

: involving, being, utilizing, or used in a surgical technique for precisely directing the tip of a delicate instrument (such as a needle) or beam of radiation in three planes using coordinates provided by medical imaging in order to reach a specific locus in the body

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Did You Know?

At the beginning of the 20th century, neurosurgeons were experimenting with a technique used to direct the tip of a needle or an electrode in three spatial planes (length, width, and depth) to reach a particular place in the brain. At that time, the word for this technique was "stereotaxic," based on the prefix stereo- ("dealing with three dimensions of space") and "taxis" (referring to the manual restoration of a displaced body part). In 1950, "stereotactic" (based on tactic, meaning "of or relating to touch) joined the medical vocabulary as a synonym of "stereotaxic." Around the same time, a noninvasive neurosurgery technique was developed using beams of radiation. It is this procedure that is now often referred to by "stereotactic" and (less frequently) "stereotaxic."

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Research Medical is not the only local institution that offers stereotactic radiosurgery, though. — Andy Marso, kansascity.com, "Research Medical unveils $3 million upgrade for radiation alternative to brain surgery," 23 June 2017 Five treatments of super-powerful radiation, called stereotactic radiation, soon will target two spots on his left side that could harbor remaining cells. — Donna Mcguire, kansascity.com, "Tenth birthday in KC is extra special for British boy beating back cancer," 27 May 2017 The number of men getting the short, intense treatment, called stereotactic body radiation therapy, or S.B.R.T., more than doubled to 1,886 in 2013 from 716 in 2007, according to the most recent Medicare data. — Gina Kolata, New York Times, "Popular Prostate Cancer Therapy Is Short, Intense and Unproven," 20 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stereotactic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of stereotactic was in 1950

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stereotactic

adjective

ste·reo·tac·tic | \ ˌster-ē-ə-ˈtak-tik, ˌstir-

Medical Definition of stereotactic

: involving, being, utilizing, or used in a surgical technique for precisely directing the tip of a delicate instrument (as a needle) or beam of radiation in three planes using coordinates provided by medical imaging (as computed tomography) in order to reach a specific locus in the body (as a tumor in the brain or breast) a stereotactic biopsy a stereotactic surgical probe