preview

The Musculoskeletal System

Decent Essays

The aspects of this system that were of particular interest to me was the skeleton. It is extremely fascinating to see how 206 bones come together to form this framework of the human body, which makes up to approximately 20% of our overall body mass. It offers the body an ‘infrastructure’ site for other bones, tissue or muscle to attach itself to (Main 2010). For instance, the ribs attach itself posterior the spine to protect the lungs and heart. Additionally, the spinal cord is comprised of 26 bones and is estimated to measuring up to 40 to 50cm long (Dafny 2015). Each of the five regions of the vertebral column, excluding the coccyx, curves in a specific way to provide flexibility to the body. The bones of the column gradually become larger …show more content…

There are many inflammation and degenerative conditions in the Musculoskeletal System that affect the efficient functioning of the body, such as Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent, chronic degenerative disorders, more common amongst older people while Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease which mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. As many of these illnesses can last up to the patient’s entire lifetime, it is important knowing about these diseases, for further research to be done about the causes and developing more effective, pharmaceutical drugs that can benefit the patient allowing them to continue leading productive and normal lives. Sources: Sinusas, K. 2012, ‘Osteoarthritis: Diagnosis and Treatment,’ American Family Physician, 86(10), pp.893 and Nice.org.uk, 2015, viewed on the 13th of August …show more content…

This complex system is essential to normal physiology due to its five main functions: It provides the structural support for the human body, it acts as storage for minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, it produces blood cells, it acts as protection for vital organs and tissues and it allows for movements in the body (Cleveland Clinic, 2015).

The risk factors that are directly associated with falls in the Musculoskeletal system include deficiency Vitamin D, decline in muscle strength and somatic dysfunction. Source: Fraix, M. 2012, ‘Role of the Musculoskeletal System and the Prevention of Falls.’ The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, [online] 112(1), pp.17-21.

In total, there are 12 pairs of ribs: 7 superior pairs are directly attached to the sternum by costal cartilages and the remaining 5 pairs are indirectly attached to sternum or are “floating.” Source: Camera, D. 2015, Lecture 2: Skeleton

The replacement time period for spongy bone is every 3-4 years, while it is every 10 years for compact bone. Camera, D. 2015, Lecture 1: Musculoskeletal

Get Access