Musculoskeletal and Nervous Systems Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering musculoskeletal pathologies, spinal conditions, and foundational nervous system concepts.

Muscular dystrophy (MD)

Group of hereditary diseases characterized by progressive degeneration of the muscles, leading to increasing weakness and debilitation, including Duchenne dystrophy (most common form).

Myasthenia gravis (MG)

Autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive fatigue and severe muscle weakness, particularly evident with facial muscles and ptosis of the eyelids.

Rotator cuff injury

Injury to the capsule of the shoulder joint, which is reinforced by muscles and tendons; also called musculotendinous rotator cuff injury.

Sprain

Trauma to a joint that causes injury to the surrounding ligament, accompanied by pain and disability, such as an eversion sprain that occurs when the foot is twisted outward.

Strain

Trauma to a muscle from overuse or excessive forcible stretch.

Torticollis

Spasmodic contraction of the neck muscles, causing stiffness and twisting of the neck; also called wryneck.

Arthritis

Inflammation of a joint usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and, commonly, changes in structure.

Gouty arthritis

Arthritis caused by excessive uric acid in the body; also called gout.

Osteoarthritis

Progressive, degenerative joint disease characterized by bone spurs (osteophytes) and destruction of articular cartilage.

Bunion

Deformity characterized by lateral deviation of the great toe as it turns in toward the second toe (angulation) with an abnormal enlargement of the joint at the base of the great toe.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)

Pain or numbness resulting from compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel (wrist canal through which the flexor tendons and median nerve pass).

Contracture

Fibrosis of connective tissue in the skin, fascia, muscle, or joint capsule that prevents normal mobility of the related tissue or joint.

Crepitation

Grating sound made by movement of bone ends rubbing together, indicating a fracture or joint destruction.

Ewing sarcoma

Malignant tumor that develops from bone marrow, usually in the long bones or the pelvis, and most commonly affecting adolescent boys.

Ganglion cyst

Noncancerous, jellylike, fluid-filled lumps that most commonly develop along the tendons or joints of the wrists or hands, but may also appear in the feet.

Herniated disk

Herniation or rupture of the nucleus pulposus (center gelatinous material within an intervertebral disk) between two vertebrae; also called prolapsed disk.

Osteomyelitis

Infection that encompasses all bone (osseous) components, including the bone marrow.

Osteoporosis

Decrease in bone density with an increase in porosity, causing bones to become brittle and increasing the risk of fractures.

Spinal curvatures

Abnormal deviation of the spine from its normal position that results in a misalignment or exaggeration in certain areas, as occurs in kyphosis, lordosis, and scoliosis.

Kyphosis

Increased curvature of the thoracic region of the vertebral column, leading to a humpback posture; also called hunchback.

Lordosis

Forward curvature of the lumbar region of the vertebral column, leading to a swayback posture.

Scoliosis

Abnormal sideward curvature of the spine to the left or right that eventually causes back pain, disk disease, or arthritis.

Spondylitis

Inflammation of one or more vertebrae.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that first affects the spine and is characterized by fusion and loss of mobility of two or more vertebrae; also called rheumatoid spondylitis.

Spondylolisthesis

Partial forward dislocation of one vertebra over the one below it, most commonly the fifth lumbar vertebra over the first sacral vertebra; also called spinal cord compression.

Subluxation

Partial or incomplete dislocation of a bone from its normal location within a joint, causing loss of function of the joint; also called partial dislocation.

Homeostasis

The state of remaining in balance among the various organ systems of the body.

Nervous system

The most complex organ system of the body, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which detects changes, processes information, and issues electrical and chemical signals to coordinate body responses.

Hormones

Chemical messengers employed by the endocrine system to communicate with cells.

Sensing

The role of the nervous system in which sense organs and nerve endings are used to detect changes both inside and outside the body.

Integrating

The role of the nervous system in which received information is processed, related to past experiences, and used to determine an appropriate response.

Responding

The role of the nervous system in which commands are issued to muscles and glands to initiate changes based on processed information.

Fetal neuron growth rate

The rate at which neurons grow during fetal development, which is about $250{,}000$ neurons per minute.