Here is a list of top 20 fun and interesting facts about the musculoskeletal system:
#1 The human musculoskeletal system, also referred to as the activity system or locomotor system, is an organ system that gives humans the capacity to move using their muscular and skeletal systems.
#2 It is made up of the bones of the skeleton, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, and other connective tissue. The bones, muscles, and joints are attached to each other by different tissues. Ligaments are found in your joints, and their function is to hold bones together.
Function
#3 The main role of this system is support and movement, however, it also performs the following functions:
- formation and supply of new blood cells;
- serves as the main storage system for essential minerals, like – phosphorus and calcium;
- stability;
- provision of body forms;
- protection of essential structures. For instance, the spinal cord is protected by the backbone, the skull protects the brain, and the ribs protect the heart and lungs.
Bones
#4 There are 206 bones in the adult body. The human hand contains 54 bones. More than fifty percent of bones in the human body are found in the wrists, hands, ankles, and feet. It consists of a resilient protein framework strengthened by phosphate and calcium deposits. Your skeleton’s bone mass is at its maximum density when you are 30 years old. The femur is the strongest bone in the body.
#5 Bones serve as shields to protect delicate internal organs (from injury by covering or surrounding them) and as rigid structures to the body.
#6 Teeth are considered part of the skeletal system, however, they are not counted as bones. They are made of dentin and enamel (the strongest substance in the human body).
Ligament
#7 It is a fibrous band of connective tissue that joins together connective tissues and bones at joints. Ligaments help stabilize and strengthen joints, permitting movement only in certain directions.
Since they have limited stretching capacity, they limit how far a joint moves to help protect against injury. They can be found in numerous joints, including – the shoulder, neck, knee, wrist, and spine.
#8 They are frequently injured, particularly in sports participation. Common injuries are strains and sprains. Damage to ligaments may result in additional bone-on-bone friction, joint instability, and impaired movement.
Tendon
#9 It is a fibrous band of connective tissue that is bonded to the bone and connects bone to bone. The tendon’s job is to transmit force between the muscles and the bones.
Additionally, they have a lot of elasticity, and by acting as a spring, tendons allow for more efficient and fluid movement in the human body.
#10 Tendons are commonly located within sheaths, that are lubricated to allow the tendons to move without friction.
They are made of parallel collagen (the number one protein in the body mainly produced from vitamin C) fibers running the length of the tendon. These fibers give the tendon its strength.
Joints
#11 They occur where bones meet, and their main job is to help with stability, including – the stability found in the bones of the skull, and movement, like – the movement of limbs.
#12 There are approximately 400 joints in the body. Some joints do not normally move, like – those located between the plates of the skull. Some joints, including the hip and the shoulder joint, are formed with a socket and a ball-type joint.
Muscles
#13 They are tissues composed of special fibers equipped with contractile capacity.
The muscular system in the human body is made of all the muscles throughout the body which helps maintain correct posture through a steady contraction, move the skeleton, and generate heat through cell metabolism.
Cartilage
#14 It is a type of fibrous connective tissue that is composed of collagenous fibers in a gelatinous substance.
It is made of proteoglycans (proteins that are heavily glycosylated), collagen, water (about 80 percent), and chondrocytes (cells that maintain and produce the extracellular matrix of cartilage).
Diseases
#15 Diseases of this system most usually involve functional disorders, motion deficits, and lameness.
#16 Tendinitis, also referred to as tendonitis, is the inflammation of a tendon. It is most frequently caused by a sudden more serious injury or from a minor impact on the affected area.
#17 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that causes tingling, numbness, and other symptoms in the arm and hand. It can be made worse if the wrist is overextended frequently.
#18 Radial tunnel syndrome is a set of signs and symptoms that include a dull, aching pain or fatigue at the top of the forearm. This disorder is mainly caused by increased pressure on the radial nerve.
#19 Mechanical low back pain is caused by abnormal stress, strain, or injury of the muscles of the vertebral column. This condition remains the 2nd most frequent symptom-related reason for visiting a physician in the US.
#20 Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic condition of the joints, which generally results from the breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone. In the present day, osteoarthritis affects about 27 million people in the United States.
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References https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1914292 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10711023_Discomallear_and_ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090506815000275