Musculoskeletal Pathology Flashcards
What is the musculoskeletal system made up of?
Bones, muscles, joints, cartilage and tendons.
How does a fracture occur?
Result of trauma. Can occur in healthy bone or in diseased bone.
How is a fracture treated?
Realign bone with a plaster cast +/- surgery.
How does a fracture heal?
Rupture of blood vessels causes haematoma which fills the fracture gap. This provides a fibrin meshwork to allow formation of granulation tissue. Inflamm. cells release cytokines.
What is osteoporosis?
Decrease in bone mass and density. Can lead to fractures.
What are the causes of osteoporosis?
Imbalance between bone resorption and bone production. Inadequate peak bone mass, excess bone resorption. Hormonal influences - lack of oestrogen. Calcium and Vit D deficiency.
What are the treatments for osteoporosis?
Alendronic acid - biphosphonate that prevents osetoclast activity.
What is arthritis?
Inflammation of a joint. Characterised by pain swelling, stiffness, redness and warmth. Restricted movement.
What is osetoarthritis?
Most common. Associated with increasing age and obesity. Usually in weight-bearing joints.
What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis?
Increasing age, female sex, obesity, pre-existing joint deformity, mechanical stress, family history, hyper mobility.
What is the pathogenesis of osetoarthritis?
Wear and tear. Breakdown of articular cartilage. Underlying bone exposed, fragments of cartilage can fall into the joint.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Morning stiffness, pain, worse with movement, reduced range of movement, reduction in mobility, joint effusions.
Who does rheumatoid arthritis affect the most?
Women affected 3 times more than men. Affects 1% of the population.
What is the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid factors help form immune complexes in the circulation. Generates inflammation in the synovium. Membranes thicken. Chronic inflammation leads to cartilage and joint destruction.
What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?
Usually affects small joints of the hands and feet. Pain, swelling and deformity. Fever, fatigue, generalised pain. Joints often stiff without prior activity.
What are crystal arthropathies?
Associated with intra-articular crystal formation - includes Gout and Pseudogout
What is gout?
Raised uric acid.
What causes raised uric acid in gout?
Produced by the breakdown of purine bases by the enzyme xathine oxidase. Urate deposited as crystals in the joints.
What are the causes of gout?
Drugs, alcohol, renal disease, hypothyroidism, dehydration
What are the symptoms of gout?
Sudden onset excruciating burning joint pain. Redness, warmth, tenderness, stiffness. Usually first attack involves big toe.
What is Pseudogout?
Precipitation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in connective tissues. Crystals in cartilage can enlarge and rupture.
What are the causes of Pseudogout?
Can be hereditary, associated with osteoarthritis, trauma or surgery, more common with increasing age.
What is septic arthritis?
Inflammation of a joint caused by bacterial infection. Commonly affects the knee.
What are the symptoms of septic arthritis?
Severe pain, swelling, redness and heat in affected joints. Symptoms develop quickly over a few hours or days.
How can septic arthritis be treated?
IV antibiotics, washout of the joint.
What is osteomyelitis?
Bone infection usually caused by bacteria.
What is osteomyelitis caused by?
Trauma, surgery, presence of foreign bodies, diabetes.
What is the most common type of bone tumour?
Metastatic disease from a distant cancer e.g prostate, kidney, breast.
What are the primary bone tumours?
Osteiod Osteoma (Benign) Sarcoma (Malignant)
What are the 3 types of muscle in the body?
Striated, smooth, cardiac
What is striated muscle?
Skeletal muscle - involved in voluntary movements.
What is smooth muscle?
Forms muscle layer in walls of gut, ducts, arteries and internal organs. Involved in involuntary actions such as bowel peristalsis.
