Disorders of Muscular and Skeletal System

Ans. The part of the bone that reduces friction at joints is the articular cartilage.

Second Answer: Articular cartilage is a smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they meet at joints. It acts like a cushion, absorbing shock and reducing friction between the bones as they move. This allows for smooth, pain-free movement in our joints.

Ans. It is an autoimmune disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction leading to fatigue, weakening, and paralysis of skeletal muscles.

Second Answer: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that affects the communication between nerves and muscles. This disrupts the signals that tell muscles to contract, leading to weakness and fatigue.

Ans. Osteoarthritis can affect both the larger and smaller joints of the body. Osteoarthritis mostly occurs in people aged 65 years.

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people aged 20 and above. In this type of disorder, the body's own immune system starts to attack body tissues. The attack is not only directed at the joints but at many other parts of the body.

Second Answer: Arthritis is a general term for conditions that cause inflammation and pain in one or more joints. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, each with varying causes and symptoms.

Ans. Hyperuricemia refers to an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood.

An increase in the level of serum uric acid in the body is characterized by urinary excretion of uric acid. It usually is one of the main symptoms of a condition called Gout.

Second Answer: An increase in the level of serum uric acid in the body, known as hyperuricemia, does not directly cause urinary excretion of uric acid. However, hyperuricemia is a risk factor for a condition called gout. In gout, excess uric acid can form crystals in the joints, leading to inflammation and pain.

Ans. The two types of Muscular dystrophy are-

• Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy
• Becker’s muscular dystrophy

Second Answer: Muscular dystrophy is a group of more than 30 genetic disorders that cause weakness and other related symptoms in the muscle. The condition can be present at birth, develop in childhood, or adulthood depending on the type.

Ans. Muscle cramps and spasms are the two symptoms of hypocalcemia.

Second Answer: Excessive lack of calcium in the body is termed hypocalcemia. Calcium plays an important role in membrane integrity and excitability. When the extracellular fluid (ECF) concentration of calcium ions falls below normal, the nervous system becomes progressively more excitable because this causes increased neuronal membrane permeability to sodium ions, allowing easy initiation of action potentials. At plasma calcium ion concentrations of about 50% below normal, the peripheral nerve fibers become so excitable that they begin to discharge spontaneously, initiating a series of nerve impulses that pass to the peripheral skeletal muscles to elicit tetanic muscle contractions. Thus, hypocalcemia causes tetany.

Ans. Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but one can prevent the condition from worsening. Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and joints is very helpful. For some patients, weight loss can reduce the stress on the joints. When the disease is far advanced and the pain is continuous, surgery may be an option. The joint replacement does help many individuals with osteoarthritis.

Second Answer: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of joint tissues over time. It is the most common type of arthritis, particularly affecting older adults. People with osteoarthritis generally experience joint pain and stiffness.

Ans. A fracture in the vertebrae with compression causing kyphosis leads to the formation of a widow’s hump, which deforms the back acquiring a hump-like shape. It occurs mostly in old aged women suffering from osteoporosis.

Second Answer: Dowager's hump, also known as widow's hump or neck hump, is a term for severe kyphosis. This condition causes an abnormal curvature of the upper spine, resulting in a noticeable bump at the base of the neck. It can lead to symptoms like neck pain, shoulder pain, and discomfort between the shoulder blades.

Ans. The structure that connects two bones is a ligament. Ligaments are strong, fibrous connective tissues that bind bones together at joints. They provide stability and limit the range of motion at a joint.

Second Answer: Ligaments are strong, fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones, providing stability and limiting movement at joints. Tendons connect muscles to bones, acting as cables that transmit the force generated by muscle contractions to create movement.

Ans. The human skeleton is the internal framework that supports and protects our bodies.  It consists of around 206 bones in adulthood. However, newborns are born with approximately 270 bones. This difference arises because some bones fuse together during childhood and adolescence as part of normal growth and development.

Second Answer: The skeletal system functions as the basic framework of a body and the entire body are built around the hard framework of Skeleton. It consists of all the bones, cartilages, and joints working together. These bones are the hard structures that make up most of the rigid or solid parts of our body.