Musculoskeletal System Diseases

Question 1

Arthritis

Answer 1

• Joint tissues becomes less resilient to wear and tear and start to degenerate manifesting as swelling, pain, and oftentimes, loss of mobility of joints
• Changes occur in both joint soft tissues and the opposing bones, a condition called osteoarthritis
• A more serious form of disease is called rheumatoid arthritis
• The latter is an autoimmune disease wherein the body produces antibodies against joint tissues causing chronic inflammation resulting in severe joint damage, pain and immobility

Question 2

Osteoporosis

Answer 2

• “Porous bone”
• The bane of the old, especially, women
• The hard, rock-like quality of bone is dependent upon calcium
• When too much calcium is dissolved from bones or not enough replaced, bones lose density and are easily fractured
• Estrogen, the female sex hormone, helps maintain proper calcium levels in bones
• Once the ovaries stop producing the hormone, women are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis
• A collapse of bone vertebrae of the spinal column results in loss of height and stooped posture
• Hip fractures are a common occurrence

Question 3

Osteomalacia

Answer 3

• “Soft bones”
• If not enough calcium is deposited during early childhood development, the bones do not become rock-hard, but rubbery
• Both adequate calcium in the diet and vitamin D, primarily, from normal sunlight exposure or supplementation, are necessary for normal bone development
• Before vitamin supplementation to milk, “rickets” another name for osteomalacia in children, was common resulting in the classic bowed legs of the afflicted child

Question 4

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Answer 4

• People whose job involves repeated flexing of their wrist (typing, house painting) may develop tingling and/or pain in their numb, index, and middle fingers along with weakness of movements of the thumb,especially,grasping an object
• The main nerve for finely controlled thumb movements passes through a bony/ligamentous canal on the bottom of the wrist
• Repetitive flexing movements may inflame and thicken the ligament over the “tunnel” through the carpal (wrist) bones trapping and compressing the nerve

Question 5

Tendonitis

Answer 5

• Repeated strain on a tendon, attachment of a muscle to bone, can inflame the tendon resulting in pain and difficulty with movement involving the muscle
• Tendons have a poor blood supply; therefore, they typically take a long time to heal on the order of six weeks or more

Question 6

Rotator cuff tear

Answer 6

• Muscles surrounding the shoulder joint are involved in rotating the shoulder with upper arm and hand forward and backward, among other movements
• The tendons of these muscles also contribute to the structural strength of the shoulder joint
• Hard, fast movements, such as in tennis and baseball can tear one of these tendons resulting in pain and decreased mobility of the shoulder
• Surgery may be needed to repair a torn tendon

Question 7

Bursitis

Answer 7

• A bursa is a small, closed bag with a minimum amount of lubricatory fluid that serves as a shock absorber where bones make close contact and to minimize trauma and friction where tendons cross bones and joints
• Inflammation leads to pain and immobility in a joint area

Question 8

Muscular dystrophy

Answer 8

• Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases in which the muscles that control movement progressively weaken
• The prefix, dys-, means abnormal
• The root, -trophy, refers to maintains normal nourishment, structure, and function
• The most common form in children is called Duchenne muscular dystrophy and affects only males
• It usually appears between the ages of 2 to 6 and the afflicted live typically into late teens to early 20s

Question 9

Myasthenia gravis

Answer 9

• “Muscular weakness, profound”
• This is an autoimmune disease that involves production of antibodies that interfere with nerves stimulating muscle contractions
• Face and neck muscles are the most obviously affected, manifesting as drooping eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, and general fatigue
• There is no actual paralysis of muscles involved, but a rapid fatiguing of function

Question 10

Lupus erythematosus

Answer 10

• An autoimmune disease wherein the body produces antibodies against a variety of organs, especially connective tissues of skin and joints
• Mild Lupus may involve a distinctive butterfly-shaped rash over the nose and cheeks
• Mild lupus may also involve myalgia and arthralgia
• Severe or systemic lupus (SLE) involves inflammation of multiple organ systems such as the heart, lungs, or kidneys
• Lupus means “wolf” in Latin
• Maybe a reference to the facial rash that might give a patient a wolf-like appearance