Chapter+24

Musculoskeletal **

[|**articular cartilage**] ** A pearly layer of specialized cartilage covering the articular surfaces (contact surfaces on the ends) of bones in synovial joints. ** [|**closed fracture**] **A fracture in which the overlying skin is not broken.** [|**traction**] ** The act of exerting a pulling force on a structure. **
 * [|crepitus] **A grating or grinding sensation caused by fractured bone ends or joints rubbing together.
 * [|dislocation] Disruption of a joint in which ligaments are damaged and the bone ends are no longer in normal contact. **
 * [|displaced fracture] A fracture in which bone fragments are separated from one another and not in anatomic alignment. **
 * [|fibula] The lateral of the two bones of the lower leg. **
 * [|fracture] A break in the continuity of a bone. **
 * [|involuntary muscle] A muscle whose contractions are not under conscious control. **
 * [|joint (articulation)] The place where two bones come into contact. **
 * [|ligament] A band of fibrous tissue that connects bones to bones, and supports and strengthens a joint. **
 * [|nondisplaced fracture] A simple crack in the bone that has not caused the bone to move from its normal anatomic position; also called a hairline fracture. **
 * [|open fracture] Any break in a bone in which the overlying skin has been violated. **
 * [|patella] The kneecap; a specialized bone that lies within the tendon of the quadriceps muscle. **
 * [|point tenderness] **Tenderness that is sharply localized at the site of the injury, found by gently palpating along the bone with the tip of one finger.
 * [|reduce] To return a dislocated joint or fractured bone to its normal position; set. **
 * [|skeletal muscle] Striated muscles that are attached to bones and usually cross at least one joint. **
 * [|smooth muscle] **A muscle that is not under voluntary control, found in the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems. Smooth muscles help carry out much of the body's automatic internal work. They are called "smooth" because they lack the striations found in skeletal muscle.
 * [|splint] **A flexible or rigid appliance used to protect and maintain the position of an injured extremity.
 * [|sprain] **A joint injury involving damage to supporting ligaments, and partial or complete temporary dislocation of bone ends.
 * [|strain] Stretching or tearing of a muscle; also called a muscle pull. **
 * [|tendon] A tough, ropelike cord of fibrous tissue that attaches a skeletal muscle to a bone. **