Musculoskeletal Key

Ankle Sprain, Acute Description Acute ankle sprain is the stretching or tearing of one or more ligaments in the ankle. A two-ligament sprain causes more disability than a single-ligament sprain….

Shoulder Stiffness/Frozen Shoulder/Adhesive Capsulitis Description Loss of motion in the shoulder may occur for many reasons. In many situations, the stiffness is related to tightness of the soft tissues—the muscles,…

Rotator Cuff Tear, Surgery for Indications: who needs surgery, when and why, and goals Surgery for a rotator cuff tear is reserved for people who have continuing shoulder pain that…

SLAP Lesions Description The socket of the shoulder, the glenoid, has a cartilage rim that lines its periphery; this cartilage rim is called the labrum, and it is important in…

Shoulder Instability, Posterior Description Posterior shoulder instability is an injury to the shoulder joint that causes the upper arm (humerus) to be displaced from its normal position in the center…

Patellar Dislocation and Subluxation Description Patellar dislocation and subluxation are injuries to the kneecap (patella) that affect the joint it forms with the thigh bone (femur). The patella is a…

Shoulder Instability, Anterior Description Anterior shoulder instability is an injury to the shoulder joint that causes the upper arm bone (humerus) to be displaced from its normal position in the…

Medial Collateral Knee Ligament Sprain Description Medial collateral knee ligament sprain is a sprain (tear) of one of the four major ligaments of the knee. The medial collateral ligament (MCL)…

Herniated Disk (Ruptured Disk) Description Herniation is the term used to describe a sudden or gradual break in the supportive ligaments surrounding a spinal disk, which functions as a cushion…

Subscapularis Disruption Description Subscapularis disruption is characterized by pain and weakness in the shoulder as a result of partial or complete tearing of the subscapularis muscle and tendon from the…