Skeletal System Characteristics and Treatment of Common Skeletal Disorders

Trauma  Fractures  Dislocations  Sprains  Strains

Fractures (aka break) pg 108  Most common traumatic injury to a bone  When this occurs, there is swelling d/t injury and bleeding tissues  The common types of fractures are:  Greenstick  Closed/simple  Open/compound  Comminuted

Greenstick  The simplest type of fracture  Bone is partially bent, but never completely separates  Break is similar to that of a young, sap- filled woodstick, where the fibers separate lengthwise when bent  Common among children b/c their bones contain flexible cartilage

Closed/Simple  When the bone is broken, but the broken ends do not pierce through the skin

Open/Compound  Most serious type of fracture  The broken bone ends pierce and protrude through the skin  Can cause infection of the bone and neighboring tissue

Comminuted  When the bone is splintered or broken into many pieces that can become embedded in the surrounding tissue

Restoring bone  Occurs through 3 main methods  Closed reduction = cast or splint  Bony fragments are brought into alignment by manipulation and a cast or splint is applied  Open reduction = internal fixation  Through surgical intervention, devices such as wires, metal plates, or screws are used to hold the bone in alignment and a cast or splint may be applied  Traction  Pulling force used to hold the bones in place, used for fractures of long bones

Internal Fixation

Dislocations  Occurs when a bone is displaced from its proper position in a joint  May result in the tearing and stretching of the ligaments  Reduction or return of the bone to its proper position is necessary, along with rest to allow the ligaments to heal

Sprain  An injury to a joint caused by any sudden or unusual motion, such a “turning the ankle”  The ligaments are either torn from their attachments to the bones or torn across, but the joint is not dislocated  Accompanied by rapid swelling and acute pain in the area and is treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Strain  Overstretching or tearing of muscle

Concussion  Result of a severe blow to the head  May be mild or severe and temporarily affect memory, judgment, speech, balance, and coordination

Hammer Toe  Toe that’s curled (flexed) d/t a bend in the middle joint of one or more toes  May be caused by shoes that are too tight or heels to high  The longest of the 4 smaller toes may be forced against the front of the shoe, resulting in unnatural bending of the toes with pain and pressure in the affected area

Diseases of the Bones: Arthritis  Inflammatory condition of one or more joints, accompanied by pain and often by changes in bone position  At least 20 different types, the most common being rheumatiod arthritis and osteoarthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)  Chronic, auto-immune disease which affects the connective tissue and joints  There is acute inflammation of the connective tissue, thickening of the synovial membrane, and ankylosis (joints become fused) of the joints  Joints are badly swollen and painful  Cause is unknown

Osteoarthritis  Known as degenerative joint disease  Occurs with aging; about 80% of all Americans affected  Articular cartilage degenerates and a bony spur formation occurs at the joint  Joints may enlarge; there is pain and swelling, especially after activity

Other diseases  Gout  Joint disorder characterized by an acute inflammation commonly affecting the big toes; accumulation of uric acid crystals  Rickets  Found in children and caused by a lack of Vit D; bones become soft d/t lack of calcification causing bone deformities  Slipped (herniated) disc:  Condition where a cartilage disc ruptures or protrudes out of place and places pressure on the spinal nerve  Whiplash injury:  Trauma to the cervical vertebra, usually the result of a MVA (what does MVA stand for?)

Gout

Rickets

Herniated Disc

Abnormal Curvatures of the Spine  Kyphosis  Hunchback  Humped curvature in the thoracic area  Lordosis  Swayback  Exaggerated inward curvature in the lumbar region, just above the sacrum  Scoliosis  Side-to-side or lateral curvature of the spine *page 112, figure 6-17*

Other Disorders  Osteoporosis – “silent disease”  Porous bone disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue  Has no symptoms until a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebrae to collapse  Collapsed vertebrae may be seen in the form of loss of height, severe back pain, or spinal deformities  See figure 6-19 page 114

 Osteomyelitis  Infection which may involve all parts of the bone  May result from injury or systemic infection and most commonly occurs in children ages 5-14  Osteosarcoma  Bone cancer  Most common sight is just above the knee

One more term to know:  Arthroscopy  Examination of a joint using an athroscope with fiber optic lens, most knee injuries are treated with arthroscopy