The appendicular skeleton is composed of 126 bones: 64 in the upper limbs and shoulders and 62 in the lower limbs and pelvis. Disorders of the appendicular skeletal system affect the shoulders, arms, elbows, hands, fingers, pelvic girdle, thighs, knees, legs, feet, ankles and toes. In addition to the bones, skeletal disorders include the muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage that connect and support the bones.
Bone Tumor
A tumor, or mass of tissue, forms as cells divide uncontrollably and produce abnormal tissue. Bone tumors may be noncancerous or cancerous. Cancerous tumors are further identified as primary, or originating in the bone, and secondary, or spreading to the bone from some other location in the body.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there are four common types of primary bone cancer. Multiple myeloma is most common, and it can affect any bone. Osteosarcoma, the second most common, mainly affects the knee. Ewing's sarcoma occurs mostly between the ages of 5 and 20 and affects the legs, pelvis and ribs. Chondrosarcoma, which occurs mostly in people between the ages 40 and 70, affects bones in the hip, shoulder or pelvis.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a progressive decrease in bone density that weakens the bones. Bones require calcium, vitamin D and other minerals to remain healthy. A lack of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus allows the bone to decrease in density, which makes the bone susceptible to fractures. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library reports that about 8 million women and 2 million men in the United States have primary or secondary osteoporosis.
Risk factors for developing osteoporosis include insufficient calcium intake, thin build, excessive alcohol consumption and early menopause. Hip fractures are one of the most serious fractures for older people, and wrist fractures occur often in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.
Congenital Clubfoot
According to Cleveland Clinic, congenital clubfoot is a foot deformity present at birth in about one out of every 1,240 births in the United States. The clinic reports that both feet are affected in about 50 percent of the cases. The types of deformities include twisting of the ankle, high arch, inward turn of the front of the foot and the downward pull of the forefoot.
Treatment for congenital clubfoot includes medical and surgical options. Corrective casting involves stretching the foot toward the correct position and casting to hold it in place. Cleveland Clinic states that this approach is most effective when started within the first two weeks after birth. Surgery to lengthen the heel cord and correct the alignment of the foot produces the best results when performed before the child starts walking.
