Medical Specialties Related to
Muscular System
• Kinesiology is the study of muscular activity and the
resulting movement of body parts.
• Ergonomics is the study of human factors that
affect the design and operation of tools and the
work environment. This term is also applied to the
design of sports equipment
• Orthopedic Surgeon – treats injuries and disorders
involving bones, joints, muscles, and tendons.
• Rheumatologist – treats disorders that involve the
inflammation of connective tissues including
muscles.
• Neurologist – treats the cause of paralysis and
similar muscular disorders in which there is a loss of
function.
• Sports Medicine Specialist – treats sports-related
injuries of the bones, joints, and muscles
Pathology
Pathology
• Fibers, fascia, and tendons
• Fasciitis – inflammation of a fascia
• Tenalgia – pain in a tendon
• tendinitis
Pathology cont.
• Muscles
• Adhesions – band of fibrous tissue that holds structures
together abnormally. May form as the result of injury or
surgery. Scar tissue.
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Atrophy – weakness and wasting away of muscle tissue.
Myalgia – muscle tenderness or pain
Myolysis – break down or degeneration of muscle tissue
Myositis – inflammation of muscle tissue
Polymyositis – chronic, progressive disease
Myomalacia
Pathology cont
• Myorrhexis – rupture of a muscle
• Myosclerosis
• Hernia
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Myocele – protrusion of a muscle through its ruptured sheath or fascia
• Muscle tone
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Atonic-lack of normal muscle tone
Dystonia – condition of abnormal muscle tone
Hypertonia
Hypotonia
Myotonia – delayed relaxation of a muscle after a strong contraction
Pathology cont
• Spasm – cramp – sudden, violent, involuntary contraction
of a muscle or a muscle group.
• Spasmodic torticollis-aka wryneck – a stiff neck due to spasmodic
contraction of the neck muscles
• Muscle function
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Bradykinesia – extreme slowness in movement
Dyskinesia
Hyperkinesia – abnormally increased motor function
Hypokinesia – abnormally decreased motor function
Tardive dyskinesia – side effect of long-term treatment with certain
antipsychotic drugs.
Pathology cont
• Voluntary muscle movement
• Ataxia – inability to coordinate the muscles
• Dystaxia – aka partial ataxia – difficulty in controlling
voluntary movement, coordination
• Contracture – abnormal shortening of muscle tissues
• Intermittent claudication – multiple symptoms including
cramp like pain of the leg muscles caused by poor
circulation.
Pathology cont
• Myoclonus
• Nocturnal myoclonus – jerking of limbs that may occur
normally as a person is falling asleep.
• Singultus – hiccups. Spasm of the diaphragm
• Myasthenia – muscle weakness
• Myasthenia gravis – MG – chronic autoimmune
disease in which there is an abnormality in the
neuromuscular function causing episodes of muscle
weakness.
Pathology cont
• Fibromyalgia – FMS – chronic disorder of
unknown cause. Characterized by widespread
aching pain, tender points, and fatigue.
Pathology cont
• Repetitive stress disorders
• Ergonomics – the study of human factors that affect the
design and operation of tools and the work environment.
• Overuse injuries
• Myofascial damage – tenderness and swelling of the
muscles and their surrounding tissues.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – occurs when the tendons
passing through the carpal tunnel are chronically
overused and become inflamed and swollen.
Pathology cont
• Epicondylitis – inflammation of the tissues surrounding the elbow
• Lateral – tennis elbow
• Medial – golfer’s elbow
• Rotator cuff injuries – affect the shoulder
• Impingement syndrome
• Calcium deposits
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Cervical radiculopathy-nerve pain caused by pressure on the
spinal nerve roots in the neck region
• Plantar fasciitis
Pathology cont
• Paralysis – loss of sensation and voluntary muscle
movements.
• Plegia – means paralysis
• Paraplegia –both legs and lower body
• Quadriplegia – all four extremities
• Hemiplegia – one side of the body.
• Paresis – partial or incomplete paralysis
Diagnostic Procedures
Diagnostic procedures
• Deep tendon reflexes (DTR) – reflex hammer
• Electromyography (EMG) – record the strength
of muscle contractions
• Electroneuromyography – nerve conduction studies
• ROM testing
• ECG – electrocardiography – heart monitor. Aka
EKG
Treatments
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Rest
Medications
Physical therapy (PT)
Surgery
Treatment Procedures
Treatments
• Surgery
• Fascia
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Fasciotomy
Fascioplasty
• Tendons
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Carpal tunnel release
Tenectomy
Tenodesis-to suture the ends of a tendon to bone
Tenolysis –to free a tendon from adhesions
Tenonectomy - surgical removal of part of tendon
Tenotomy – surgical division of a tendon for relief of a deformity
Treatments
• Tendons cont
• Tenoplasty
• Tenorraphy
• Muscles
• Myectomy – surgical removal of a portion of a muscle
• Myoplasty – surgical repair of a muscle
• Myorrhaphy – to suture a muscle wound