Mobility and Musculoskeletal Function

Flashcards covering normal mobility, musculoskeletal structures, mechanics of movement, exercise types, and developmental considerations across the lifespan.

Mobility

The ability to move freely within the environment, fundamental to daily functioning.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

A set of activities used to define independence, including job-related and role-related tasks such as being a parent or spouse.

Immobility

A state occurring when a person cannot move their entire body or a specific body part.

Rehabilitation

The key process for restoring a person with certain disabilities to optimal mobility, in which nurses play a significant role.

Musculoskeletal system

The supporting framework for the body composed of bones and muscles involved in movement, form, and shape.

Woven bone

Bone tissue characterized by rapid growth, common in infancy and at the insertion points of ligaments and tendons in adults.

Lamellar bone

Mature bone tissue consisting of highly organized mineralized plates.

Bone Classification by Shape

The classification of the body's $206$ bones into long (arms, legs), short (tarsals, carpals), flat (cranium), and irregular (vertebral).

Diaphysis

The shaft of a long bone.

Epiphyses

The ends of long bones.

Periosteum

The covering of most bone which contains nerves and blood vessels.

Skeletal muscles

Muscles composed of striated, long muscle fibers in parallel alignment that connect to bones at or across joints.

Action potential

An electrical charge that moves along a nerve and across the neuromuscular junction to initiate muscle contraction.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substances, such as acetylcholine, that permit neurologic impulses to be transmitted to muscle.

Sarcoplasmic reticulum

The site of storage and release of calcium in the muscle, essential for the biochemical events of contraction.

Motor unit

A single motor nerve and all the muscle fibers it connects to.

Hypertrophy

An increase in muscle diameter and strength resulting from forceful activity.

Atrophy

A decrease in muscle strength and size caused by disuse from lack of exercise, aging, or immobilization.

Fibrous joints

Joints that do not move, such as those found in the cranium.

Cartilaginous joints

Joints that allow minimal movement, such as costochondral joints.

Synovial joints

Moveable joints of the extremities lined with synovial tissue that produces lubricating synovial fluid.

Ligaments

Elastic connective tissues that connect bone to bone across a joint to allow movement.

Tendons

Connective tissues that connect muscle to bone; they move the bone when the muscle contracts.

Alignment

Achieved when joints and muscles are not experiencing extremes in extension, flexion, or unusual stress while lying, sitting, or standing.

Line of gravity

A vertical line starting at the top of the head that evenly bisects the shoulders, trunk, and weight-bearing joints, running slightly anterior to the sacrum.

Reticular formation

A neural network in the brain stem that integrates neural input essential for maintaining balance.

Vestibular apparatus

An ear structure consisting of the cochlear duct, three semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule which provides equilibrium.

Cerebral cortex

The part of the brain responsible for initiating voluntary motor activity.

Basal ganglia

Brain structures responsible for maintaining posture.

Cerebellum

The brain structure that coordinates motor activities, steady posture, and performs adjustments based on proprioceptive information.

Pyramidal tract

The direct corticospinal pathway that initiates transmission of impulses to the spinal cord for voluntary movements.

Extrapyramidal tract

The indirect corticospinal pathway that dampens and inhibits impulses to promote smooth, coordinated movement.

Proprioceptive information

Information regarding position sense used by the cerebellum to refine movement.

Body mechanics

The coordinated effort to use alignment, posture, and balance during activities like lifting, bending, and moving.

Draw sheet

A small cloth sheet extending from the patient's shoulders to hips used to assist in repositioning or turning a patient in bed.

Aerobic exercise

Exercise requiring oxygen for the metabolic activities of skeletal muscles during vigorous, continuous movement like running or cycling.

Anaerobic exercise

Short-term exercise occurs when muscles cannot extract enough oxygen from blood, useful for athletic endurance training.

Isotonic exercise

Dynamic form of exercise involving constant muscle tension, contraction, and active movement, such as walking or performing ADLs.

Isometric exercise

Static exercise where a muscle is tensed and held stationary, such as strength training with weights.

Range of motion (ROM)

The ability to move all joints through the full extent of their intended function.

Active ROM

Exercises in which the person can independently initiate and perform movements through each joint's complete range.

Passive ROM

Movement of a patient's joints initiated and carried out by someone other than the patient, such as a physical therapist.

Gait

The style and character of a person's walk, requiring equilibrium and balanced posture.

Stance phase

The phase of the walking gait composed of three events: heel strike, midstance, and push-off.

Swing phase

The phase of the walking gait composed of acceleration, swing through, and deceleration.

Rooting reflex

A newborn survival reflex where the baby turns toward the breast when their cheek is stroked.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

A condition caused by compression of the median nerve resulting in pain and decreased hand mobility, often due to repetitive movement.

Osteoporosis

A condition involving decreased bone mass and an increased incidence of fractures, especially common in people assigned female at birth.

Osteoarthritis

A degenerative joint condition, especially in weight-bearing joints like hips and knees, that can cause chronic pain in older adults.