1 - Introduction to MSK Flashcards
What are the functions of skeletal muscle?
- Continence
- Locomotion
- Metabolic
- Venous return
- Posture
- Heat production
What are fascia?
Sheets of tough connective tissue for protection and compartmentalisation
What are the two main types of cartilage in the body at joints?
- Articular: decrease friction
- Fibrocartilage: shock absorptin and increase bone congruity
What are bursa?
Snyovial fluid-filled sacs to protect tendons and ligaments from friction, hard to see.

What is collagen in the bone for?
To reenforce it and give it tensile strength, like metal rods in concrete
How does bone act as a store?
Matrix is made up of calcium phosphate. Amount of storage depends on how good the blood supply is
What gives bone its mechanical properties?
- Calcium phosphate gives it great compresssive strength and collagen gives it great tensile strength
- All components of the bone are the same as other conenctive tissues but different proportions

What are the two divisions of the skeleton?
Appendicular - Bones of upper and lower limbs
Axial - Longitudinal axis of the body

What is the function of all the different shapes of bones?
- Long: Act as lever in appendicular skeleton
- Short: Great range of movement and stability
- Flat: Protect and attachment of muscles
- Irregular: Protection (have no growth plates or epiphysis)
- Sesamoid: Embedded in tendons to protect from stress and wear

Where do muscles attach to bones?
Bony prominences, larger the prominence the more powerful the muscle is

What are the articulating processes of bone?
- Head: rounded articular projection supported by neck
- Condyle: Large knuckle like projection (medial condyle of femur)
- Facet: Smooth flat surface (inferior and superior vertebrae)

What are non-articulating processes?
- Trochanter: Blunt projection only on femur
- Epicondyle: Smaller projection above condyle. Attachement for muscles and ligaments
- Tubercle: Small knob-like rounded process
- Tuberosity: Large, rounded, usually rough process
- Crest: Prominent border on ridge
- Line: Less prominent ridge
- Spine: Sharp slender process

What is the difference between a tubercle and a tuberosity?

Why do non-articulating processes form?
Result of traction on developing bone by muscles and ligaments. Stronger force exerted on the bone, larger the prominence that develops
What are some depressions on the surface of the bone?
- Fovea: Pit-like landmark
- Sulcus/Groove: Furrow that accomodates soft tissue such as blood vessels and nerves
- Fossa: Basin-like depression
- Cavity: spacious open area
- Notch: c or u shaped depression

Why do depressions occur on the bone?
Provide the passage of blood vessels and other soft tissues
What are some bone openings and why do they occur?
Occur to allow blood vesels and nerves to pass into or through the bone

- Foramen: Hole or window in the bone
- Fissure: Narrow slit like opening between bones
- Canal: Tube-like passageway
What is the blood supply to the bone?
Top half is child, metaphysis artery separate. Bottom half is adult and anastomosis occurs between metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries

What is avascular necrosis?
- When the bone dies due to lack of blood suppy. Can be due to fractures, alcoholism, steroid use, decompression sickness.
- MOST COMMONLY DUE TO INTRACAPSULAR FRACTURE OF FEMUR.
- More likely to happen to children as if their epiphyseal artery is cut off then no blood supply to epiphysis

What happens to the size of a cricketer’s arm bones?
Their dominant arm will become thicker due to remodelling. Osteocytes will detect dominant hand is being used and signal osteoblasts to deposit more bone

What is a joint and the three classifications of joints?
An articulation between two surfaces. More mobile the joint, less stable it is

What are fibrous joints?
- United by collagen fibres
- Virtually no movement so very stable
e. g sutures of the skull

What is a cartilaginous joint?
- Bones held together by cartilage, found in midline of body and epiphyseal growth plates
- Primary: Completely immobile and united by hyaline cartilage, e.g first sternocostsal joint
- Secondary: Symphyses. Articular surfaces covered by hyaline cartilage and a pad of fibrocartilage between them

What are synovial joints?
- Separate bones capped with articular hyaline cartilage and a thin film of synovial fluid separating them
- Highly mobile
- Fibrous capsule surrounds the joint and is composed of interlacing and longitudinal collagen.















