Human health and medicine

Klippel–Feil syndrome

Klippel–Feil syndrome (KFS), or congenital cervical vertebral fusion, is a rare disorder fusing two or more neck vertebrae; classic triad of short neck, low hairline, limited motion; genes GDF6, GDF3, MEOX1.

Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome

Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome (KTS), also called angio-osteohypertrophy syndrome, is a rare congenital low-flow vascular malformation disorder with port-wine stains, venous malformations, and limb overgrowth, caused by somatic PIK3CA mutations within PROS.

Klumpke paralysis

Klumpke paralysis (Klumpke's palsy, Dejerine-Klumpke palsy): lower brachial plexus palsy of C8-T1 roots from hyperabduction traction or apical tumor compression, causing claw hand, medial hand sensory loss, and Horner syndrome.

Klüver–Bucy syndrome

Klüver–Bucy syndrome (KBS), a rare neuropsychiatric disorder from bilateral temporal lobe damage, causes hypersexuality, hyperorality, hyperphagia, visual agnosia, hypermetamorphosis, and placidity; first described in monkeys by Klüver and Bucy in 1937.

Kn-026

KN026 (anbenitamab, Ennituo, 恩尼妥®) is Alphamab Oncology's CRIB-platform HER2 bispecific antibody targeting domains II and IV, approved in China in May 2026 with chemotherapy for previously treated HER2-positive gastric cancer.

Knee

Knee: the largest human joint, a synovial hinge joining femur, tibia, and patella with ACL, PCL, collateral ligaments, and menisci; only human knee reaches full extension among compared mammals.

Sep 29, 2026

Knee arthroscopy

Knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive orthopedic procedure in which a camera and miniature instruments are inserted through small incisions to diagnose and treat injuries inside the knee joint.

Knee effusion

Knee effusion, commonly called water on the knee, is an abnormal buildup of fluid inside the knee joint, most often from osteoarthritis, trauma, or gout.

Knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease with cartilage loss and abnormal bone growth; managed with exercise, weight loss, corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections, and joint replacement for severe disease.

Knee pain

Knee pain, also called knee ache or arthralgia of the knee, is pain in or around the knee joint from traumatic, degenerative, overuse, or inflammatory causes; affects about 25% of adults, with osteoarthritis dominant over 45 and patellofemoral pain in the young.

Knee Prosthesis

A knee prosthesis is an implanted device that replaces part or all of the knee joint's surfaces, most commonly to relieve pain from osteoarthritis when other treatments fail.

Knee replacement

Knee replacement (knee arthroplasty): surgery replacing damaged knee joint surfaces with metal and plastic implants, mainly for osteoarthritis. Total and partial types; implants often last 15-25 years; infection is now the leading revision cause.

Kniest dysplasia

Kniest dysplasia (Kniest syndrome, swiss cheese cartilage dysplasia) is a rare autosomal dominant type II collagenopathy caused by COL2A1 variants, causing disproportionate short stature, stiff enlarged joints, myopia, retinal detachment risk, and hearing loss.

Knobloch syndrome

Knobloch syndrome (Knobloch-Layer syndrome, OMIM 267750) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with high myopia, vitreoretinal degeneration, retinal detachment, and occipital encephalocele, caused mainly by COL18A1 mutations.

KNOW-CKD study

KNOW-CKD (KoreaN Cohort Study for Outcome in patients With Chronic Kidney Disease) is South Korea's nationwide prospective chronic kidney disease cohort, begun in 2011 under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency; Phase I enrolled 2,238 adults at nine tertiary hospitals.

Knuckle pads

Knuckle pads, also called Garrod pads or holoderma, are benign fibrous thickenings over finger joints, mostly the PIP joints; idiopathic, hereditary, or trauma-related, diagnosed clinically and by ultrasound, usually needing no treatment.

Knuckle pads-leukonychia-sensorineural deafness-palmoplantar hyperkeratosis syndrome

Knuckle pads-leukonychia-sensorineural deafness-palmoplantar hyperkeratosis syndrome, or Bart-Pumphrey syndrome (OMIM 149200), is a rare autosomal dominant GJB2 (connexin 26) disorder with knuckle pads, white nails, palmoplantar keratoderma, and congenital hearing loss.

KO52

KO52 (K052, K-052, CVCL_1321) is a human acute myeloid leukemia cell line from the relapse bone marrow of a 46-year-old Japanese man, carrying DNMT3A, NRAS, and homozygous TP53 p.Arg248Trp mutations, distributed as JCRB0123 and used in DepMap, CCLE, and pharmacogenomic datasets.

Koebner phenomenon

Koebner phenomenon (isomorphic response): appearance of lesions identical to a patient's existing skin disease, chiefly psoriasis, vitiligo, or lichen planus, at sites of skin trauma.

KOH test

KOH test (potassium hydroxide preparation): bedside microscopy test using 10-20% KOH to dissolve keratin in skin, hair, and nail specimens, revealing fungal hyphae; about 88% sensitive, 95% specific for superficial fungal infection.

Koladi kvatha cirna

Koladi kvatha cirna (Kolādi kvātha cūrṇa), also Koladi peya, is an Ayurvedic decoction-powder formula beginning with kola (Zizyphus jujuba fruit), cited in Ashtanga Hridaya Chikitsa 1/32 and the 15th-century Yogasarasangraha, indicated for constipation, abdominal pain, and fever with anal burning.

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), public tertiary teaching hospital in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana; founded 1954 as Kumasi Central Hospital, teaching hospital since 1975; Ghana's second-largest, ~1,200 beds, KNUST medical training site, referral center for 13 of 16 regions.

Kommerell diverticulum

Kommerell diverticulum: congenital aneurysmal outpouching of the proximal descending aorta at the origin of an aberrant subclavian artery, first described by Burckhard Kommerell in 1936; often asymptomatic, may cause dysphagia or rupture.

KONG-FREEDOM-I trial

KONG-FREEDOM-I (NCT07587099) is a Chinese multicenter randomized non-inferiority trial testing P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy versus dual antiplatelet therapy after stent-free rapamycin drug-coated balloon PCI, 2,170 patients, primary endpoint net adverse clinical events at 12 months.

Koniocellular cell

Koniocellular (K) cells are the smallest relay neurons of the primate lateral geniculate nucleus, forming thin calbindin-rich layers between M and P layers; a heterogeneous third visual channel carrying blue-yellow color and other signals to V1 blobs, extrastriate cortex, and blindsight-related routes.

Konjac-alginate-xanthan polysaccharide complex (PGX)

PGX (PolyGlycopleX, alginate-konjac-xanthan polysaccharide complex, KAX) is a proprietary viscous fibre complex of konjac glucomannan, sodium alginate, and xanthan gum, studied for lowering postprandial glucose; EFSA found its safety not established at proposed use levels.

Koolen-De Vries syndrome

Koolen-de Vries syndrome (KdVS, 17q21.31 microdeletion syndrome) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by KANSL1 haploinsufficiency, marked by developmental delay, hypotonia, epilepsy, distinctive facial features, and friendly behavior.

KorAHF study

KorAHF (Korean Acute Heart Failure registry): prospective Korean cohort of 5,625 acute heart failure hospitalizations at 10 tertiary hospitals, 2011–2014; in-hospital mortality 4.8%, distinctively low admission blood pressure, later integrated with KorHF III.

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA, 질병관리청), South Korea's independent central disease control agency, successor to KCDC; runs national immunization (19 mandatory diseases), infectious disease surveillance, chronic disease programs from Osong.