Tibial Stress Fracture
TIBIAL STRESS FRACTURE The tibia is the largest of the two leg bones and is located on the inner part of the leg relative to the lateral fibula, which is the smaller bone located laterally. The tibia is prone to stress/fatigue fractures in patients who perform sports such as long-distance running, whereby repetitive… Read more »
Knee Osteoarthritis / Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS The knee consist of three separate joint articulations (superior tibiofibular, patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints) and any one of these can be prone to wear-and-tear (osteoarthritis). So what actually happens? The early stages of the degeneration process are thought to occur when an abnormal force or the cumulative effects of a sustained faulty posture,… Read more »
Patellafemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
PATELLAFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME The patella (knee cap) is essentially a floating bone. It transfers the force of the largest and strongest muscle grouping, the quadriceps (front of thigh), into the lower leg. The quadricep muscles are utilised in movements involving straightening the leg, such as getting out of a chair and going upstairs. They also… Read more »
Cartilage/Meniscus Tear
CARTILAGE/MENISCUS TEAR There are two meniscii in the knee, known as lateral and medial. The meniscii are roughly c-shaped and made up of very tough fibrocartilage. They are positioned between the tibia (shin bone) and femur (thigh bone) on the outer aspect of the joints. The meniscii perform the following important functions in the… Read more »
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear
ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) RUPTURE The ACL is a very important ligament which is positioned deep inside the knee. It crosses the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) to form a crucifix, hence the name “Cruciate”. The ACL runs from the front of the tibia (shin bone) to the back of the femur (thigh bone),… Read more »
Hip Osteoarthritis
HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS The hip joint is a weight bearing ball-and-socket synovial joint which is commonly affected by wear-and-tear (osteoarthritis). In early stages of this degenerative process (irrespective of the cause), a sequence of events takes place within the cartilage of the joint, ultimately leading to exposure of some of the underlying bone. The resultant cartilaginous… Read more »
Greater Trochanteric Bursitis
TROCHANTERIC BURSITIS This condition describes irritation of the bursa at the hip. The trochanteric bursa is a fluid filled sac which is located adjacent to the femur, between the insertion of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles, into the greater trochanter of the femur. It has the function, in common with other bursae, of… Read more »
Iliopsoas Bursitis
ILIOPSOAS BURSITIS This condition describes irritation of the bursa between the iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscle and the anterior hip capsule and iliopectineal eminence located at the front of the pelvis. Iliopsoas/Iliopectineal Bursa Iliopsoas Muscle Similar to the function of all other bursae, the iliopsoas bursa separates muscle/tendon from bone and acts to facilitate movement,… Read more »
Hip Flexor Strain
HIP FLEXOR STRAIN / TEAR Hip flexion is the action of moving the thigh upwards towards the torso or if the thigh is fixed it pulls the torso down towards the thigh, for example if you fix your feet under something when doing a sit-up. The main muscles associated with hip flexor strains are the… Read more »
Labral Tear
LABRAL TEAR The hip joint is the closest example to a ball-and-socket joint we have in the human body. The ball is formed by the head of the femur (femoral head), which is located at the top of thigh bone. It forms approximately two thirds of a sphere. The socket is located at the lower… Read more »
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: INFORMATION Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition which is characterised by irritation or entrapment of the median nerve. This nerve can get entrapped at various sites along its course down the upper limb and each site is specific with regards to the clinical presentation, i.e. pronator teres syndrome, anterior interosseous nerve entrapment… Read more »
Golfer’s Elbow/Medial Epichondylitis
GOLFER’S ELBOW/ MEDIAL EPICHONDYLITIS The medical name for golfer’s elbow is medial epichondylitis, as this condition occurs where the tendons of the forearm insert onto the medial epichondyle of the elbow joint. The medial epichondyle is the site at which the muscles which bend the wrist and fingers originate. The muscles which perform this function,… Read more »
Repetitive Strain Injury
INFORMATION ON REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURIES In the absence of trauma, another major cause of wrist injury is overuse. This is particularly apparent in the computer operator population, whereby overuse is common and arises from positions that strain the finger tendons and wrist flexor and extensor muscles repetitively. The diagnosis of repetitive strain injury (RSI) is… Read more »
De Quervain’s Syndrome
DE QUERVAIN’S SYNDROME: INFORMATION De Quervain’s syndrome is a condition which is characterised by pain along the course of two thumb tendons, namely the extensor pollicis longus and the abductor pollicis brevis. These muscles are responsible for extending and abducting the thumb and both are housed within synovial sheaths. The tendons are able to glide… Read more »
Ganglions
GANGLION CYST: INFORMATION A ganglion cyst is a harmless swelling that contains a thick jelly-like material which is thought to arise from either the capsule or tendon sheaths. They are often found around the wrist and on the fingers and can be felt as a smooth lump under the skin. The cause of ganglions remains unclear. The main… Read more »
Wrist Fractures
WRIST FRACTURES (SCAPHOID FRACTURE, DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURE, ETC.) The wrist is the flexible link between the forearm and fingers. It is a complex joint composed of two rows of carpal bones which articulate with the lower end of the ulnar and radius of the forearm. Tendons travel down from the elbow and forearm and cross over the… Read more »
Wrist Sprain
WRIST SPRAINS The wrist is the flexible link between the forearm and fingers. It is a complex joint composed of two rows of carpal bones which articulate with the lower end of the ulnar and radius of the forearm. Tendons travel down from the elbow and forearm and cross over the wrist to insert… Read more »
Skier’s Thumb/UCL Sprain
GAMEKEEPER’S/SKIER’S THUMB Gamekeepers or skiers thumb describes a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, which is located between the first metacarpophalangeal joint close to the web of the thumb. This injury can occur either as a single event or due to a repetitive overload (chronic) injury, whereby the ligament becomes stretched and… Read more »
Wrist/Finger Flexor Strain
WRIST/FINGER FLEXOR STRAIN Overuse injuries of the wrist and forearm not only subject the tendons of the forearm to overload, but can also result in repetitive strain to the muscles which are responsible for bending/flexing the wrist and fingers. This type of injury is often grouped together with other diagnoses, such as carpal tunnel syndrome… Read more »
Anterior Interosseous Nerve Entrapment
ANTERIOR INTEROSSEOUS NERVE ENTRAPMENT The anterior interosseous nerve is a condition caused by the compression or irritation of the median nerve. This nerve can be entrapped at various sites along its course down the upper limb and each site is specific with regards to the clinical presentation, i.e. pronator teres syndrome, anterior interosseous nerve entrapment… Read more »
Ulnar Collateral Ligament Sprain
ULNAR COLLATERAL LIGAMENT SPRAIN The elbow joint is described as a “hinge joint” and is formed by three bones, namely the humerus, radius and ulna. Along with the surrounding musculature, this joint is supported and strengthened by two ligaments: the ulnar, and radial collateral. The ulnar collateral ligament is fan shaped and very strong. It… Read more »
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
CUBITAL TUNNEL SYNDROME Nerves can not only be irritated as they exit the spine, but also at distant sites away from the spine. These are known as peripheral entrapments. The ulnar nerve arises from the medial cord of the brachial plexus, a branch of nerve fibres which stem from the neck. This nerve supplies the… Read more »
Olecranon Bursitis
OLECRANON BURSITIS The olecranon is the medical term to define the point of the elbow. Anatomically, the olecranon is located on the ulnar. Overlying the olecranon is a fluid filled sac, named a bursa. The bursa prevents friction between the point of the elbow and the overlying skin and,… Read more »
Triceps Tendinopathy
TRICEPS TENDINOPATHY The main action of the triceps brachii is to extend or straighten the elbow. It is composed of three separate muscle heads, namely the medial, lateral and long head, which originate from the humerus and scapula and, together, insert onto the point of the elbow (olecranon). With triceps tendinopathy, there is often a… Read more »