Musculoskeletal Key

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Pain is multidimensional; more than one test or measure may be needed in the examination. ▪ Pain may be the cause or the result of other musculoskeletal…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The primary difference between complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) types I and II is that there is an identifiable peripheral nerve injury in type II. ▪ The…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in adults. ▪ Conservative management requires an understanding of: The disease process, specific conditions, potential deformities, and the patient’s individual…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Disruption of the normal thumb biomechanics by rheumatoid arthritis often leads to significant loss of the patient’s ability to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs). ▪…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Degree of thumb pain often does not correlate with radiographic findings, which also may not correlate with true degree of arthrosis as seen arthroscopically. ▪ Most patients…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Address the whole patient; treatment is based on patient needs, not radiographs alone. ▪ Surgeon–therapist–patient cooperation is essential. ▪ Meticulous surgical technique and meticulous therapy are both…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The joint destruction and the deformities that occur in rheumatoid arthritis are the result of the interaction between the diseased synovial tissue and the normal joint tissue….

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ Tendon transfer is most often the treatment of choice for tendon ruptures in the rheumatoid hand. ▪ The goal for a tendon transfer is to redistribute power…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is one of the most important joints of the thumb and hand, displaying a wide arc of motion with stabilization provided by…

CRITICAL POINTS ▪ The thumb is responsible for 40% to 50% of hand function. ▪ The two most important goals of thumb reconstruction are restoration of sensation and opposition. ▪…