| CODE | MDS1030 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Musculoskeletal - Physiology and Upper Limbs | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty of Medicine and Surgery | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit highlights the functional inter-relationships among bones, joints, the muscles, and nerves to form units responsible for the movements of the body as this relates to the upper limbs. The study unit examines the musculoskeletal structures using prosected specimens in a cadaver lab, radiology, and other types of imaging and clinical examination in living individuals (the students themselves as volunteers – Clinical Skills sessions) intending to form a sound basis for clinical practice. In addition to lectures, students will be exposed to practical hands-on anatomy demonstrations in living human anatomy, imaging, cadaver labs and possibly computer laboratories. During these sessions students are taught to identify structures and relate these to function both in the cadaver lab, relating to the surgical environment and in the imaging and live examination environments relating to clinical situations. Guides may be provided to indicate to students what they should be covering. Critical Thinking Sessions, which are based on carefully selected clinical cases are intended to stimulate the student to think and discuss critically the presented problems with their tutor and to understand and apply the basic scientific knowledge and principles required to deal with related clinical casess as well as ethical, behavioural and professional principles. Study-Unit Aims: - A good functional knowledge of the structure and function of the musculoskeletal system, including the muscles, nerves and joints involved in movement and sensation in the upper limbs. - A foundation for the development of the skills of clinical examination of movements of the upper limbs. - An understanding of the anatomical and physiological basis of common clinical conditions involving the musculoskeletal system, as recognised by defects in movement, sensation or blood supply. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the structure and inter-relations of the bones, joints, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels, particularly at clinically important sites where common injuries occur. - Outline the histology of the different types of connective tissues and other structures involved in the musculoskeletal system. - Discuss the embryology of the development of the axial skeleton and upper limbs. - Describe the biochemical and physiological basis of the normal processes present in the musculoskeletal system, both in health and disease. - Explain the anatomical and physiological basis of clinical conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system, particularly traumatic and clinically relevant ones. - Outline the ultrastructure and molecular mechanisms mediating muscle contraction. - Discuss muscle energy metabolism during rest and disease. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the structure and functions of the skin and its appendages, with particular knowledge relating to the mammary gland and its lymphatic drainage. - Identify on radiographs, CT scans and MRIs the bones, joints, nerves and vascular structures of the upper limbs. - Name the movements of the body in the upper limbs, and the muscles, nerves, and joints responsible for them in an individual. - Demonstrate on individuals the muscles and movements of the joints of the upper limbs, and test nerves supplying them and the major limb reflexes. - Perform a clinical examination of the joints of the upper limbs. - Map out the dermatomes and myotomes of the upper limbs and know how to test them. - Interpret the motor and sensory consequences of damage or injury to the nerves of the upper limbs, and more importantly individual nerve roots and distinguish them from each other. - Palpate the pulses of the main arteries of the upper limbs and discuss the consequences of ischaemia due to obstruction/injury especially at clinically relevant sites. - Take blood pressure on a volunteer and draw blood from a medical learning model. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts For Anatomy: - WINESKI LE. Snell's Clinical Anatomy by Regions. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2018, 10th edition. [ISBN-13 : 9781496345646] - DRAKE R, VOGL W, MITCHELL AWM. Gray’s Anatomy for Students,. Elsevier. 2020 4th Addition {ISBN9780323393041} - SPRATT J, SALKOWSKI L, LOUKAS M, TURMEZEI T, WEIR J, ABRAHAMS P. Weir & Abrahams' Imaging Atlas of Human Anatomy. Elsevier, 2020, 6th edition. [ISBN: 9780702079269] - YOUNG B, O’DOWD G, WOODFORF P. Wheater's Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas. Churchill Livingstone, 2013, 6th edition. [ISBN-13: 9780702047473] Main Texts For Physiology: - Silverthorn, Dee Unglaub. Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (8th Edition). [ISBN-13: 978013460519 |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualifications: Entry requirements for MD Course Pre-requisite Study-units: All MD study-units are compulsory |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study, Project and Tutorial | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Ernest Azzopardi Sarah Cuschieri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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