MSK Flashcards
list some purposes of the skeleton
- raises us up from the ground against gravity
- determines basic body shape
- transmits body weight
- forms jointed lever systems for movement
- protects vital structures from damage
- houses bone marrow
- mineral storage
list the 5 different types of bone
- long
- short
- flat
- irregular
- sesamoid
describe long bones
- tubular hollow shaft
- expanded ends for articulation
eg femur and humerus
describe short bones
- cuboidal in shape
eg carpals
describe flat bones
- (often curved) plates of bone
- protective function
eg bones of the skull
describe irregular bones
- various shapes
eg vertebrae
describe sesamoid bones
- round, oval bones embedded in a tendon
eg patella
what are the 2 types of macro bone structure?
cortical and trabecular
what is cortical bone?
(macro) COMPACT
- dense and solid
- only spaces are for cells and blood vessels
what is trabecular bone?
(macro) CANCELLOUS/spongy
- network of bony struts filled with bone marrow
- cells reside in trabecular, blood vessels reside in holes
what are the 2 types of micro bone structure?
woven and lamellar
what is woven bone?
(micro)
- made quickly
- disorganised
- no clear structure
what is lamellar bone?
(micro)
- made slowly
- organised
- layered structure
what is bone composed of?
50-70% = minerals (hydroxyapatite, a crystalline form of calcium phosphate) 20-40% = organic matrix (90% T1 collagen, 10% non-collagenous) 5-10% = water
what % of bone is minerals?
50-70%
what is the main mineral in bone?
hydroxyapatite
what is hydroxyapatite?
a crystalline form of calcium phosphate (reservoir for calcium and phosphate)
what % of bone is organic matrix?
20-40%
what is organic matrix composed of?
90% of protein = t1 collagen
10% = non-collagenous proteins
what % of bone is water?
5-10%
how is collagen assembled in the bone?
in fibrils with crystals situated in the ‘gap’ regions between them
what does collagen provide bones with?
stiffness
what do minerals provide bones with?
elasticity
what are the 4 main bone cells?
- osteoclasts (multinucleated)
- osteoblasts (plump, cuboidal)
- osteocytes
- bone lining cell
what’s the difference between osteoblasts and osteoclasts?
osteoBlasts BUILD bone osteoClasts CHEW (break down)
what do osteoblasts do?
- derived from haematopoietic stem cells
- form bone - in form of osteoid
- produce t1 collagen
- act by secreting collagen into matrix (mineralise the extracellular matrix by depositing hydroxyapatite crystal within collagen)
- high alkaline phosphate activity
- make non-collagenous proteins
- secrete factors that regulate osteoclasts eg RANK ligand
- once collagen becomes calcified (mineralisation), osteoblasts become osteoCYTES
what is osteoid?
unmineralised, organic portion of bone matrix that forms prior to bone maturation
what do osteoclasts do?
- resorb bone
- dissolve the mineralised matrix
- break down collagen bone
- secrete collagenases and proteinases
- high expression of TRAP and cathepsin K
what do osteocytes do?
- form tight junctions with neighbouring osteocytes
what are the 2 ways in which bone shape can be renewed?
- MODELLING = gross shape is altered, bone is added/taken away
- REMODELLING = all of bone is altered, new bone replaces old
list some reasons for bone remodelling
- forms bone shape
- to replace woven bone with lamellar
- to reorientate fibrils and trabecular in favourable direction for mechanical strength
- in response to loading (exercise)
- to repair damage
- to obtain calcium (eg in times of stress such as pregnancy)
- dysregulated remodelling = disease
what is the skeleton divided into?
axial and appendicular
what is the difference between the axial and appendicular skeleton?
axial = bones of head/trunk appendicular = upper and lower limbs and girdles (shoulder/pelvis)
discuss primary bones
primary bones are the 1st bones that appear in embryonic development and fracture repair
it undergoes bone building in 1st trimester
- poorly organised structure
- synthesised from mesenchyme/cartilage
- bone is often heavy and weak
primary bone is REMODELLED
discuss secondary bones
the result of remodelling by osteoblasts/clasts
- occurs around age 17-18 (after growth stops)
- well organised structure
- bone is lighter
what are the 2 main types of ossification (and the difference between them)?
- endochondral ossification (produces LONG bones, cartilage is present)
- intramembranous ossification (produces FLAT bones, cartilage not present)
how are collagen fibrils formed?
3 collagen molecules –> tropocollagen –> collagen fibril
what joins collagen together?
covalent cross-links within the tropocollagen molecule and hydrogen bonds between hydroxyproline molecules (within tropocollagen) [requires vit c]
how is collagen broken down?
by proteinases - especially collagenases and cathepskin K (in bone)
why is vitamin C important in bone and what condition is associated with this?
vitamin c is involved in collagen formation
scurvy = severe vitamin c deficiency
what disease is as a result of not enough collagen?
osteogenesis imperfecta aka brittle bone disease
not enough collagen to support minerals in bone thus making bone weak
list 6 diff types of collagen and where they’re found
type I = bone marrow, tendon, ligaments, skin
type II = articular cartilage
type III = alongside type I, wound healing
type IV = basal lamina
type V = cell surfaces
type X = growth plate
describe the stages in endochondral ossification
remember, it produces long bones
mnemonic: Boys Can’t Pee During Erections
- Bone collar formation
- Cavitation
- Periosteal bud invasion
- Diaphysis elongation (diaphysis is the middle portion)
- Epiphyseal ossification (epiphyseal = 2 round bits at ends)
describe stage 1 of endochondral ossification
BONE COLLAR FORMATION
- osteoprogenitor cells –> osteoblasts
- osteoblasts secrete osteoid
- bony collar formed around shaft (diaphysis)
describe stage 2 of endochondral ossification
CAVITATION (cavity formation)
- cartilage in bone centre begins to ossify [primary ossification centre]
- inner cartilage can’t get nutrients –> degrades and forms cavity
describe stage 3 of endochondral ossification
PERIOSTEAL BUD INVASION
- vessels in periosteum invade cavity through nutrient foramen
- vessels bring blood, nutrients and osteoblasts/clasts
- osteoclasts break down cartilage and osteoblasts secrete spongy bone
describe stage 4 of endochondral ossification
DIAPHYSIS ELONGATION
- increased cell numbers + osteoid –> elongation of diaphysis
- vessels bud into cartilage at ends of bone [secondary ossification centre]
describe stage 5 of endochondral ossificaiton
EPIPHYSEAL OSSIFCATION
- when completed, hyaline cartilage remains only in epiphyseal plates and articular cartilages
- ends of bone form spongy bone
- articular cartilage on end of bone - growth/epiphyseal plate on other side
describe intramembranous ossification
(produces flat bones)
- ossification centre forms
- mesenchyme cells –> osteoprogenitor cells –> osteoblasts –> primary ossification centre - calcification
- osteoblasts secrete collagen/proteins –> forms osteoid (bony matrix)
- osteoid is calcified –> engulfs osteoblasts to form osteocytes - trabecular formation
- osteoid is randomly laid down around blood vessels –> trabeculated (osteoblasts are on periphery) - periosteum development
- peripheral osteoid becomes compact bone –> spongy bone contains bone marrow
what are the 4 hormonal influences on growth?
growth hormone
- increases growth
thyroid hormone
- increases metabolic rate
- required for growth
sex hormones
- stimulates growth at puberty by stimulating GH
cortisol
- inhibits growth
how is calcium distributed?
mainly in skeleton - 1200g
what is calcium like in neonates?
they have only 30g thus need lots of milk during development
what are the levels of calcium intra/extracellularly? (and why is it needed there)
extracellularly - 1g
- needed for blood clotting, muscle contraction and nerve function
intracellularly - trace
- calcium in the ER
- major in muscle (SR)
- important for signalling
what is the total serum calcium?
2.4 mmol/L
what are the 3 forms of calcium in serum?
- ionised (free)
- complex eg citrate/phosphate
- protein-bound
discuss ionised calcium
- just under half of serum
- metabolically ACTIVE
- if serum pH increases (alkalosis) = less ionised calcium
why is there less ionised calcium if serum pH increases?
- albumin is neg charged and a buffer
- H+ taken away from neg albumin
- Ca2+ has to take place of excreted H+ to balance charge
- thus, less circulating ionised calcium
discuss complexed calcium
- metabolically INACTIVE
- filtered by the kidney
discuss protein-bound calcium
- metabolically INACTIVE
- mainly bound to albumin
- cannot be filtered by the kidney
what condition is low ionised calcium associated with?
tetany
associated with contraction of small muscles of hands/feet
discuss calcium kinetics (3 types of absorption)
calcium can be:
- ABSORBED from gut (excreted in faeces)
- REABSORBED from kidney (secreted into kidneys)
- RESORBED from bone (lost in bone formation - helping to mineralise)
name some major and minor dietary sources of calcium
- major: dairy prods (2/3) - milk, yoghurt, cheese
- minor sources: veg (broccoli), cereals, oily fish
what % of dietary calcium is absorbed?
30% (actively or passively)
where does active calcium absorption occur?
in the duodenum and jejunum (majority)
what is active calcium absorption mediated by?
calcitriol (activated vitamin d)
- low calcium diet = increased calcitriol = increased calcium absorption in duodenum/jejunum
where does passive calcium absorption occur?
ileum and colon (to a much lesser extent)
what are the 2 processes in which calcium can be released from the bone?
- can be released RAPIDLY from exchangeable calcium on bone surface
- can be released from osteoclasts during bone resorption which is much SLOWER
what does calcium filtration through the glomerulus depend on?
- GFR
2. ultra filtrable calcium (ie calcium which is either ionised or complexed to phosphate)
if the GFR is high, is there more or less calcium filtration?
more
what % of calcium filtered by the kidneys is reabsorbed back into the blood?
98%