ch 32 Emergency Care Chapter 32: Musculoskeletal Trauma Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the anatomy, injury types, assessment tools, and emergency care procedures for musculoskeletal trauma based on Chapter 32 of Emergency Care 14th Edition.

Musculoskeletal System

The system composed of bones, joints, muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments that provides the body with structure, stores metabolic materials, and produces red blood.

Bones

The framework of the body, formed of dense connective tissues, which are vascular and susceptibles to bleeding on injury.

Joints

The places where bones meet or articulate to create movement and bending.

Muscles

Tissues responsible for movement, categorized into skeletal (voluntary), smooth (involuntary), and cardiac (myocardial).

Skeletal Muscle

Voluntary muscle tissue responsible for movement.

Smooth Muscle

Involuntary muscle tissue.

Cardiac Muscle

Myocardial muscle tissue.

Cartilage

Tissue that helps form the flexible structures of the body.

Ligaments

Connective tissues that support joints by attaching bone ends to allow for stable range of motion ($BLB$: bone-ligament-bone).

Tendons

Connective tissues that allow for the power of movement across joints by connecting muscle to bone ($MTB$: muscle-tendon-bone).

Periosteum

The covering that surrounds the bones.

Bone Shapes

The four classifications of bone shape are Long, Short, Flat, and Irregular.

Fracture

Any break in a bone, which can be classified as open (skin broken) or closed (skin not broken).

Comminuted Fracture

A fracture where the bone is broken in several places.

Greenstick Fracture

An incomplete break in a bone.

Angulated Fracture

A fracture where the broken bone is bent at an angle.

Dislocation

The "coming apart" of a joint.

Sprain

The stretching and tearing of ligaments.

Strain

The overstretching or overexertion of a muscle.

Compartment Syndrome

A life-threatening condition where severe swelling in an extremity results in pressure so great that the body can no longer perfuse tissues, leading to cellular damage and potential limb loss.

Six P's

A mnemonic for the assessment of musculoskeletal injuries: Pain or tenderness, Pallor (pale skin), Paresthesia (pins and needles), Pulses diminished or absent, Paralysis, and Pressure.

CSM

An acronym used during patient assessment to check Circulation, Sensation, and Motor function distal to an injury.

Splinting

The process of immobilizing an injury to minimize movement, decrease pain, and prevent additional injury to soft tissues like nerves and arteries.

Rigid Splints

One of the three types of splints available on EMS units, providing inflexible support.

Formable Splints

A type of splint that can be molded to the shape of the deformed extremity.

Traction Splint

A device used for a suspected femur fracture that counteracts muscle spasms; types include Bipolar and Unipolar.

Manual Traction

The process where one EMT grasps the distal extremity while a partner supports the injury site and pulls in the direction of the long axis.

Traction Applied Amount

Roughly $10\%$ of the patient's body weight, not exceeding $15\,lbs$.

Sling and Swathe

A technique used for patient care in shoulder girdle injuries.

Pelvic Wrap

A commercial device or a folded sheet (approximately $10\,inches$ wide) applied to patients with pelvic deformity or instability.

Posterior Hip Dislocation

An injury characterized by the leg being rotated inward, the knee being bent, and a possible lack of sensation in the limb.

Hip Fracture

An injury common in geriatric patients with brittle bones, often identified by the foot turning outward and the injured limb appearing shorter.

Pillow Splint

A method of immobilization often used for an injured ankle or foot.