"A Patient’s Guide to Bone and Joint Diseases"
From a traumatic leg fracture to gradually worsening arthritis of the hands, disorders affecting the bones and joints come in many forms. Without proper treatment, bone and joint conditions can lead to chronic pain and disability. One disorder is acute fractures, which are usually due to trauma, although they can be related to bone cancer. "Fractures are very dependent on patient demographics," said Gerardo Miranda-Comas, MD, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Diagnosis starts with a medical history and physical examination. "It's a complete musculoskeletal exam, not just evaluating the joint or the area that's injured," added Dr. Miranda-Comas. “We look for modifiable risk factors like alignment. We look for muscle imbalance or muscle weakness. We look for asymmetry. Limb length plays a big role. Within those subtle signs, we expand our evaluation and questioning in terms of trying to look for environmental factors or just activity that exposes you to injury.”
— Gerardo Enrique Miranda-Comas, MD, Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
