Skeletal System

Dr. Rob explains · Tendinitis happens when a muscle or tendon gets stretched too far very suddenly causing a strain. This can cause swelling as well as pain in the affected area. Common treatments include rest, avoiding exercises that might aggravate the area, and taking pain relief medication. This diagram shows tendinitis in the Achilles tendon. This can often be found in runners who put a lot of strain on the tendon from frequent and stressful use. It may also occur in people who do not exercise very often but then overuse the feet and legs all at one time.

Dr. Rob explains · A common issue in the shoulder is a "rotator cuff" injury. Pictured here is an example of a torn supraspinatus tendon in the shoulder. Rotator cuff tears can occur when the shoulder is put under extreme stress from trauma, overuse, or disease. Rotator cuff surgery can be performed on this tendon to repair it and regain mobility of the shoulder.

Dr. Rob explains · Pictured here is one particular example of an osteoma (bone tumor) that is an osteosarcoma in the femur bone of the leg. Although it rarely occurs, it does happen to be the most common form of primary bone cancer. However, any tumor in a bone would be called an osteoma.

Dr. Rob explains · is a general term that refers to any type of bone disease. Specific conditions would have their own medical terms. One example of a bone disease is osteoarthritis which is an inflammation of the bone and joint as shown in the diagram of the knee. Another example could be bone spurs and deterioration of the spinal bone in degenerative disk disorders.

Dr. Rob explains · The bone matrix in the spongy bone layer can decrease over time as we age particularly in women who do not get enough calcium in their diet. In early stages, it may be classified as osteopenia when the bone material is decreasing. However, when that decrease is significant enough, it is called osteoporosis due to the larger holes that make the bones very brittle.