Musculoskeletal Key

Introduction A vacuole is a membrane-bound area of a muscle fibre that may contain various cellular components or enzymes. The type and function of a vacuole vary, and the properties…

Action potentials in muscle, initiated by depolarization by a nerve impulse and depolarization of the muscle fibre, require the rapid movement of inorganic ions through transmembrane ion channels. The action…

There has been a dramatic increase in the understanding of disorders that affect the metabolism of muscle, particularly with regard to their biochemistry and molecular basis. A large number of…

In addition to inherited or acquired neuromuscular disorders, muscle weakness and alterations in muscle bulk can occur in association with several underlying conditions and as a consequence of ageing. Hormone…

Introduction The congenital myopathies are a clinically, genetically and pathologically heterogeneous group of muscle disorders defined in many patients by the presence of particular histopathological features. They emerged as a…

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, myotonic muscular dystrophy and oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy are dominantly inherited disorders, all of which have an unusual molecular defect involving nucleotide repeats. Clinically, facial weakness is a…

Joint contractures are a common complication of several neuromuscular disorders, but in some they are an early feature and specific joints are commonly affected. In particular, disorders known as Emery–Dreifuss…

History and Background The term ‘congenital muscular dystrophy’ (CMD) has been widely used to describe a group of infants with weakness and hypotonia from birth or within the first few…

History and Background Heterogeneity in the muscular dystrophies has long been recognized ( ). The wide application of molecular techniques and increasing use of next-generation sequencing have identified a growing…

Background Although the advent of molecular genetics has transformed the diagnostic confirmation of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, we thought it worth retaining some historical background and clinical description of…