Disorders of the

Muscular System

The Faculty of Medicine – Second year

Seminar 18 - Week 16-20 March
myopathy – miopatie [myo-, muscle + pathos, suffering]
electromyography (EMG) – electromiografie (EMG) [electro-, electricity + myo, muscle, + graphō, to write]
myasthenia – miastenie [myo, muscle, + astheneia, weakness]
myasthenia gravis (MG) - miastenia gravis (MG)
myasthenic - miastenic
 MYO‑ formă combinatorie cu sensul de muşchi
 muscle (syn.) musculus (pl. musculi) - muşchi
 muscle ache (syn.) muscle pain - durere musculară
 muscle fatigue (syn.) muscular fatigue - oboseală
musculară
 muscular - muscular
 musculature - musculatură
 assay - încercare, test, analizare, probă, analiză,
experiment
 to assay - a proba, a verifica, a testa, a determina
conţinutul; a evalua, a examina
 damage - lezare, leziune, afectare, traumatism,
vătămare
 to damage - a leza, a afecta, a traumatiza, a vătăma,
a tulbura
 damaged - lezat, vătămat, afectat, tulburat, dereglat
 damaging - dăunător, vătămător
 junction (syn.) juncture (syn.) junctura (pl.
juncturae) - joncţiune, junctură; legătură, unire;
articulaţie, încheietură
 neuromuscular junction (syn.) myoneural
junction - joncţiune neuromusculară, joncţiune
mioneurală
 Muscle function may be affected by
disorders elsewhere, particularly in
the nervous system and connective
tissue. The conditions described
below affect the muscular system
directly. Any disorder of muscles is
described as myopathy.
 Techniques for diagnosing muscle
disorders include electrical studies of
muscle in action, electromyography
(EMG), and serum assay of enzymes
released in increased amounts from
damaged muscles, mainly CPK
(creatine phosphokinase)
 Myasthenia gravis is an acquired
autoimmune disease in which
antibodies interfere with muscle
stimulation at the neuromuscular
junction. There is a progressive loss
of muscle power, especially in the
external eye muscles and other
muscles of the face.
dystrophy (syn.) dystrophia subst. distrofie [dys-, bad, difficult + trophē, nourishment]
dystrophic - distrofic
muscular dystrophy (syn.) myodystrophy - distrofie musculară (DM), miodistrofie
Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD) (syn.) childhood muscular dystrophy - distrofia musculară
progresivă Duchenne, distrofie musculară infantilă, distrofia musculară a copilăriei

 noninflammatory - non-inflamator
 to inflame - a (se) inflama Muscular Dystrophy
 inflamed - inflamat, iritat  Muscular dystrophy refers to a
 waste - reziduu, rebut, deşeu; irosire, pierdere; emaciere group of hereditary diseases
 hazardous wastes (syn.) toxic wastes - deşeuri involving progressive, non-
periculoase, deşeuri toxice inflammatory degeneration of
 waste - uzat, nefolositor; de aruncat muscles. There is weakness and
 to waste - a atrofia; a pierde, a se micşora, a irosi wasting of muscle tissue with
 cardiomyopathy (syn.) myocardiopathy - gradual replacement by connective
cardiomiopatie, miocardiopatie tissue and fat. There may also be
 impaired - agravat, distrus, deteriorat cardiomyopathy (disease of cardiac
 to impair – a deteriora, a afecta, a tulbura muscle) and mental impairment.
 impairment - deteriorare; alterare, afectare, tulburare
 sex‑linked - sex-linkat
 The most common form is
 incapacitant - agent de incapacitare
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a
 incapacitating (syn.) disabling (syn.) crippling -
sex-linked disease passed from
incapacitant, invalidant mother to son. This appears at age 3
 incapacitation (syn.) incapacity - incapacitate to 4, and patients are incapacitated
 to infect (syn.) to contaminate - a infecta, a contamina by age 10 to 15. Death is commonly
 infected (syn.) contaminatede - infectat, contaminat caused by respiratory failure or
 infection - infecţie infection.
 infecting - infectant, care infectează
 infectious (syn.) infective - infecţios, infectant; infectat,
viciat
 infectiousness (syn.) infectivity - infecţiozitate
 polymyositis – polimiozită [poly-, many + myo, muscle, + -itis, inflammation]
dermatomyositis – dermatomiozită [dermato-, skin + myo, muscle, +
-itis, inflammation]
 dysphagy (syn.) aglutition (syn.) aphagia -
disfagie, aglutiţie, afagie
 viral - viral, virotic
 virologist - virolog, virusolog
 virology - virologie, virusologie
 autoimmune - autoimun
 autoimmunity - autoimunitate
 autoimmunization – autoimunizare
 lupus erythematosus (LE, L.E.) - lupus
eritematos
 DERMA-, DERM(O)-, DERMAT(O) –
formă combinatorie cu sensul de piele
 erythema - eritem
 erythematous (syn.) erythematosus -
eritematos
 dermatitis (pl. dermatitides) - dermatită,
inflamaţia pielii
 atopic dermatitis (syn.) atopic eczema -
dermatită atopică, eczemă atopică
 rash - raş, erupţie cutanată de scurtă durată
 itchy rash - erupţie însoţită de mâncărime
 
Polymyositis
 Polymyositis is inflammation of
skeletal muscle leading to weakness,
frequently associated with dysphagia
(difficulty in swallowing) or cardiac
problems. The cause is unknown,
and may be related to viral infection
or to autoimmunity. Often the
disorder is associated with some
other systemic disease such as
rheumatoid arthritis or lupus
erythematosus.
 When the skin is involved, the
condition is termed dermato-
myositis. In this case, there is
erythema (redness of the skin),
dermatitis (inflammation of the skin),
and a typical lilac-colored rash,
predominantly on the face. In
addition to enzyme studies and
EMG, muscle biopsy is used in
diagnosis.
Vocabulary practice

1. Match the terms in each of theses sets with their definitions and write the
appropriate letter (a-e) to the left of each number.

1. deltoid a. large muscle across the back below the trapezius

2. triceps branchii b. posterior muscle of the upper arm that extends the forearm
3. pectoralis major c. triangular muscle that covers the shoulder
4. latissimus dorsi d. main muscle of the calf
5. gastrocnemius e. large muscle across the upper chest

6. rectus abdominis a. muscle between the ribs

7. gluteus maximus b. muscle that runs vertically at the center of the trunk
8. sartorius c. main muscle of the buttocks
9. semitendinosus d. posterior muscle of the thigh
10. intercostal e. long, straplike muscle that runs across the inner thigh
Vocabulary practice

11. myokinesis a. faulty muscle tone

12. myotenositis b. muscle tumor
13. myoglobin c. oxygen-storing pigment in muscle
14. dystonia d. inflammation of muscle and tendon
15. rhabdomyoma e. muscle movement

16. aponeurosis a. muscle spasm due to a metabolic imbalance

17. ataxia b. forcible tearing away of a part
18. torticollis c. flat, sheetlike tendon
19. tetany d. lack of muscle coordination
20. avulsion e. wryneck
Vocabulary practice

2. Fill in the blanks:

1. The neurotransmitter released at the neuromuscular junction is .......................

2. Any muscle that produces flexion at a joint is called a(n) .......................
3. The quadriceps femoris muscle has .......................attachment points (heads).
4. The sheath of connective tissue that covers a muscle is called .......................
5. A band of connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone is a(n) .......................
 Vocabulary practice

3. Define the following medical terms:

1. structure surrounding bone .......................

2. inflammation of many muscles .......................
3. pertaining to between vertebrae .......................
4. softening of cartilage .......................
5. process of many fingers or toes .......................
6. breakdown or destruction of skeletal muscle .......................
7. abnormal condition of bone growth .......................
8. binding of a joint .......................
9. fixation of a muscle .......................
10. process of joined fingers or toes .......................
11. recording a disc .......................
12. binding together of vertebrae .......................
13. surgical puncture of a bursa .......................
14. condition of formation of no cartilage .......................
15. surgical repair of the chin .......................
 Vocabulary practice

4. Sort the terms into the correct categories, i.e.

a) anatomy and physiology; b) pathology; c) procedures

achondroplasia densitometry osteoporosis

amputation diaphysis osteosarcoma
arthrocentesis EMG patellapexy
arthrodesis endosteum perichondrium
arthrography fibromyalgia radius
arthrosis genioplasty sacrectomy
arthrotomy humerus scapula
articulation lamellae scapulopexy
bunion laminectomy sciatica
bursitis ligament sternum
carpectomy meniscectomy syndactyly
cartilage osteoclasis tendinitis
contracture osteogenesis TMJ
costa osteomyelitis ulna
 Vocabulary practice
5. Replace the underlined text with the correct terms:

1. Ms. Alston was diagnosed with softening of the cartilage of her knee and a cyst of synovial fluid
in the popliteal area of her leg.
2. The patient had surgical puncture of a joint to treat his abnormal condition of blood in the
joint of the left knee.
3. Dr. Matthews performed an alignment and immobilization of the right collarbone of 5-year-old
Caitlin, who had fallen while jumping on her bed.
4. Sarah Henderson had abnormal bone growths in the joints between the bones of her fingers.
5. The patient had an extreme posterior curvature of the thoracic area of the spine that was the
result of her loss of bone mass.
6. The patient was admitted for an inflammation of the bone and bone marrow of his lower
lateral arm bone.
7. The patient complained of inflammation of the fascia on the sole of the foot and inflammation
of a tendon.
8. A procedure that records the electrical activity of muscles was used to confirm the Mr. Travis’
chronic, idiopathic inflammation of many muscles.
9. An X-ray revealed a partially bent and partially broken fracture of the child’s right upper arm
bone.
10. The baby was born with condition of more than five fingers on her hand and condition of the
joining of the toes.