LISTENING EXERCISE

If you would like to hear more native English speakers from Canada and the United States, search
the Internet for radio stations located here. Many radio stations have programs dedicated to the
topic of sports. In some of these, the musculoskeletal injuries of athletes may be discussed. Try to
find one. Listen carefully by Internet or radio to hear many of the words you have just learned.

WRITING EXERCISE
1) Use your new vocabulary. Write a sentence or two by combining these words in a
meaningful way.
men muscles injury lifting pain
relief ice heavy back

2) Use a key word from the previous exercise to complete a new sentence.
a) Tisha’s arm hurts today. She may have strained a playing baseball
yesterday.
b) The human arm is of a number of muscles, not just one.
c) Physiotherapists help clients their joints after joint surgery.

S E CT IO N T WO Body Movement, Posture, Gait,

Ambulation, and Position
In this section, the context remains that of the musculoskeletal system and we begin to use vo-
cabulary and grammar in a more meaningful way. Now there are opportunities to use language
to describe and name parts of the musculoskeletal system. Procedures, explanations, and infor-
mation reporting are explored. Exercises also include naming anatomical sites or landmarks and
building a verb repertoire for working with clients.

Reading Selection 2-3

While you read the following paragraph, try to discover its social purpose. Why has it been written?
BONES AND MORE
As you know, the skeleton is comprised of bones. The spine is an example. The spine
is sometimes referred to as the backbone. It consists of bones called vertebrae and
of cartilage. It functions to keep the body upright and allows bending and twisting. In
humans, bones continue to grow until we reach the age of 25. Bones can break for a
variety of reasons: nutritional deficits, aging, injury, trauma, or disease. A broken bone
is called a fractured bone. Every bone of the skeleton can potentially be broken. The
place where two bones meet is called a joint. In conclusion, the human skeleton is the
reason we are able to stand, sit, walk, and move in various ways.

READING EXERCISES
The following exercises will help you master information reports while building vocabulary.

The Musculoskeletal System 63

Understanding the General Meaning
The paragraph you have just read is written to provide information. The genre of an information
report has the social purpose of telling the reader something. Health professionals are very often
required to give verbal and written information reports. This exercise will help you learn the
structure of this genre.
1) What is the main subject of the paragraph?

2) What is the main function or social purpose of the paragraph?

3) Complete the following table by writing in the appropriate sentences to match this genre’s
format. The information report genre includes the grammatical elements of
• an introduction
• background information on the topic
• discussion of the main subject
• conclusion

Building Vocabulary
Take a moment now to review the reading Bones. Can you see vocabulary from previous
exercises? In this section on movement, identify all the movement words you have just read. Jot
them down here. In subsequent exercises, you may discover more opportunities to use these to
tell or describe. Keep them here as a reference for yourself.

Table 2-1 Elements of an Information Report

Write in the appropriate sentences from the reading selection to match

this genre’s format.

ELEMENT EXAMPLE FROM READING SELECTION

Introduction
Background Information
Discussion of Main Topic

Conclusion

64 The Musculoskeletal System

Sentence Completion. To build vocabulary, complete the following fill-in exercises. Use the
Word Bank below to help.

1) Bob says he broke his leg below the knee. Nurses and doctors would
WORD BANK say that he his or fibula.
flexible

aging
2) Mathilde is 95 years old and at risk for a hip . Her
tibia
bones are more fragile simply due to the process.
cartilage
joint
move 3) As we grow older, the in our spines
making us less and less .
fractured
hardens

fracture 4) are located where bones meet and help us

.

Multiple Choice. Continue to expand your new vocabulary by completing the following
multiple-choice questions. You may not recognize all of the words, but feel confident that you
do have enough skill now to be able to find the correct answers.
1) There are several aspects worth mentioning in the study of the musculoskeletal system.
For example, there are the bones, diseases, and injuries. In this context, aspects can be
described as
a) attributes.
b) conditions.
c) parts making up a whole based on how it looks to the mind or to the eye.
d) sections.
2) Choose the best answer to describe the function of the musculoskeletal system. It
a) helps you stand up.
b) allows you to walk.
c) supports the skeleton.
d) allows you to stretch.
3) Pathologic fractures occur as a result of
a) diseases or conditions that cause bones to break spontaneously without an injury or
trauma.
b) brain disease.
c) old age.
d) sickness.

Deduction derives from the act of deducing. It is the conclusion you reach after using logic
and reasoning, and after examining the evidence at hand.

Sentence Completion. The goal of the following is to acquire medical vocabulary used to
identify types of bone fractures. To complete the exercise, read the descriptions. Try to match
them with the name of the fracture found in the Word Bank below. To be successful, read
through the entire exercise first. Then go back and through deduction, make the matches. Your
own personal knowledge and experience in health care will help you with this exercise.
The Musculoskeletal System 65
 1) When the bone is broken by being pressed or squeezed by very great
WORD BANK force, we call it a fracture.
compound 2) Franklin’s ulnar bone is broken to the degree that it protrudes out
through his skin. You can actually see it. This is called a
closed oblique fracture.
compression 3) Brenda is going to need some surgery to repair her shin bone. It
splintered into about 10 pieces in the car accident. This type of frac-
incomplete
ture is called a one.
longitudinal
4) Shylo wasn’t sure he broke a bone. He had a lot of pain, but when he
pathologic looked at his arm, he couldn’t see the typical swelling of a broken
bone. Still, he could not use his arm to lean on without a lot of pain.
comminuted
The x-ray shows it is broken at an angle, sideways along the bone.
This is a type of fracture.
5) Engenoo has had brittle bone disease all of his life. He is 8 years old
now and his bones are very fragile. He must be careful because with
this condition one of his bones can break even without an injury.
When this occurs, the doctor says he has a fracture.
6) Reka thought she had a sprained ankle. She walked on her broken
ankle for a couple of days. She shouldn’t have done this. When she
finally got it x-rayed, the doctor told her she had a long crack run-
ning down the bone. The nurse explained this was actually called a
fracture.

SPEAKING EXERCISE
Return to the previous exercise. Read it out loud to yourself or to a friend who is also studying
Medical English Clear and Simple. Help each other with pronunciation or ask a native English
speaker. Check the Pronunciation Hints box below, too.

PRONUNCIATION HINTS
comminuted – kŏm’ı̆ -nūt-ĕd
compression – kŏm-prĕsh’ŭn
longitudinal – lŏn’’jı̆ -tū’dı̆ -năl
pathologic – păth-ō-lŏj’ ı̆k
oblique – ō-blēk
compound – kŏmp’ownd

LISTENING EXERCISE
At this point you again have some homework. You are encouraged to speak to a native English-
speaking health professional if you know one or watch an English language video clip about
broken bones. Try this: on the browser on your computer type in “video clip, broken bones” or
“video clip, fractures.” You will be surprised what you can see and hear.

66 The Musculoskeletal System

WRITING EXERCISE—CREATIVE WRITING
As a health professional or student in health studies, it is important to know how to write in a
variety of genres. So far, you have looked at reporting the facts in the information report genre.
Now you have an opportunity to be more creative. You are going to write a short story in the es-
say genre. In preparation for doing this writing, study the format of a short story/essay given in
Box 2-5. Be sure to follow this format.
Write a short story using the 5-paragraph essay format. Use the following topic.
Fractures. When a bone is broken, it will either be splinted or casted to immobilize it.
Using this vocabulary and words you have learned throughout this unit, write a short
story about yourself or someone you know who has had a broken bone. Tell the reader
a little bit about how the fracture happened and what the results were. Write in the
past tense, but use your verbs correctly. Here are some pictures to help inspire you.

The Musculoskeletal System 67

 BOX 2-5 The Essay Genre
A standard form of essay writing is the 5-paragraph essay. This includes:
■ An introductory paragraph—Clearly identify what you will talk about in the essay.
■ Body
● first paragraph—The first sentence should make a very brief link to the introduction.
This prepares the reader for the focus of the first paragraph. Next, identify the main
topic of the paragraph—the point you would like to talk about.
● second paragraph—The first sentence or two should link to the previous paragraph
in some way. It should also reflect the thesis or main topic that was identified in
the introductory paragraph. Other sentences must make a new point or points
related to that topic.
● third paragraph—This paragraph follows the same format as the previous two. It
must also have its own clear point that relates to the main thesis (topic) of the
essay. This paragraph should also provide a signal to the reader that the end of
the essay is approaching.
■ Conclusion—The last paragraph must restate the original thesis or topic of your
essay; it must reflect the introductory statement. Reflection means the sentence
will contain similar information but will not be an exact copy of the original thesis
statement. Next, summarize three main points, one from each paragraph of the
body of the essay. Finally, include a statement that clearly shows the reader that
the essay has come to an end.

Reading Selection 2-4

Read the following in preparation for exercises that talk about healthy joints and joint disorders. While you
do so, notice that the joints are being labeled using common speech. The correct anatomical term appears in
parentheses just after each common name.
JOINTS
A joint is the place in your body where two or more bones come together. Joints are
movable. They articulate. In the human body, there are six types of movable joints.
They are the hinge (ginglymus), pivot (trochoid), gliding (arthrodia), ball-and-socket
(enarthrosis), condyloid, and saddle joints. Hinge joints only bend one way. Try to
think of them like the hinge on a door. The knee is an example of a hinge joint; so are
the knuckles in your fingers. Pivot joints allow you to turn a part of your body. This is
referred to as rotation. In this case, the bone moves around a central axis without mov-
ing away from it. The neck is an example of a pivot joint. You can pivot your neck.
A gliding joint, on the other hand, is one in which a connecting bone is able to swing
back and forth as it passes smoothly over the other bone. Your ankle and wrist can do
this. A ball-and-socket joint is one in which a rounded bone head moves within the
cavity of another bone. An example of this is your shoulder and hip joint. The move-
ment is called circumduction. A condyloid (ellipsoidal) joint allows movement in an el-
liptical, pivotal manner. It can also flex, extend, abduct, and adduct. The wrist is an ex-
ample of a condyloid joint. A saddle joint has the same movements of a condyloid
joint—flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction—but it cannot pivot or rotate.
Thumbs are the only saddle joints in the human body.
Joints are under a lot of pressure and are quite prone to stress, injuries, and inflam-
mation. The main diseases affecting them are gout, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid
arthritis. These usually cause inflammation. Injuries to the joint include contusions,
dislocations, sprains, and penetrating wounds. Stress on a joint can come from heavy
lifting or playing rigorous sports.

68 The Musculoskeletal System

READING EXERCISES

Understanding the General Meaning

Read the text again. Think about it.
1) What genre is this reading written in?
medical/scientific
2) What does the phrase “on the other hand” mean in the context of this reading?
is introducing another contrasting joint

Building Vocabulary
Take a moment now to review what you have just read. List the anatomical names for joints here.
the hinge, pivot, gliding, ball-and-socket, condyloid, saddle

Multiple Choice. To promote acquisition of new words through context, complete the fol-
lowing multiple-choice questions. Please refer back to the reading for help at any time.
1) I can actually rotate my head. It must be a
a) hinge joint.
b) pivot joint.
c) ball-and-socket joint.
d) saddle joint.
2) When two things are joined together to allow motion between the parts, they
a) articulate.
b) meld.
c) fuse.
d) connect.
3) Gliding joints are also known as synovial joints. They allow two flat bones to come very
close together without touching. The bones glide past one another as the movement oc-
curs. This action is also known as
a) swinging or sliding.
b) circumduction.
c) circulation.
d) pivoting.
4) A sample of joint stress is
a) jogging.
b) sleeping.
c) worrying too much.
d) none of the above
5) An example of inflammation of a joint would be
a) fever.
b) bruising.
c) arthritis.
d) myocarditis.

The Musculoskeletal System 69

 6) Dislocation means
a) moving to another town.
b) changing color.
c) displacement of a bone from its normal position in a joint.
d) finding a new location.

Mix and Match. Now that you have read about joints, locate them correctly in the body by
doing the exercise in Box 2-6. In the previous exercises you have studied anatomy and that vo-
cabulary will help you now.

Multiple Choice. Begin to become familiar with proper terminology for assessing body
movement. Study the pictures. Remember them. Take notes about them, if you like. Then an-
swer the multiple-choice questions that follow. Note: the questions will not be about the
pictures. They are questions that ask you to think about the topic and use the language in
other ways. Answer the questions by choosing the best answer.

BOX 2-6 Mix and Match: Locating Joints

Draw a line to link the type of joint and where it is located.

JOINT LOCATION
ball-and-socket wrist and head
hinge thumb
pivot wrist
gliding metacarpals, metatarsals, ribs
condyloid shoulder and hip
saddle finger, elbow, knee

1) If I move my entire arm out, away from my body at

the side, what am I doing?
a) flexing
b) extending
c) rotating
d) abducting

2) Stand up. Raise your right leg. Keep it straight. What

movement are you doing?
a) flexion of the hip
b) extension
c) inversion
d) none of the above

70 The Musculoskeletal System

 3) Put your feet flat on the ground. Keep your heels
down. Raise your toes and feet without taking your
heels off the ground. What is this called?
a) silly
b) impossible
c) dorsal flexion
d) extension

4) Put your arm down, straight at your side. What is

this action?
a) extension
b) flexion
c) adduction
d) eversion

5) Sit down. Lift your heels and point your toes. What
are you doing?
a) plantar flexion
b) standing up
c) extending my feet
d) opposing my feet

6) Hold up your hand. Open it, and then fold your

thumb in, over the palm. What is this called?
a) opposition of the thumb
b) not possible
c) extension of the thumb
d) extension of the hand

7) Hold up your hand. Open it. Curl the fingers down

into the palm. What are you doing?
a) nothing
b) flexing my fingers
c) opposing my fingers
d) adducting my fingers

The Musculoskeletal System 71

 8) Sit up straight. Turn your head from left to right. What is
this called?
a) gliding
b) adduction
c) rotation
d) nodding

9) Sit up straight, again. Tip your head backwards. What is

this called?
a) painful
b) flexion
c) impossible at my age
d) neck extension

10) Stand up with your legs together. Now take your left leg
away from your body, out to the side. Now bring it back
in. What is this last action?
a) opposition
b) abduction
c) inversion
d) adduction

SPEAKING EXERCISE
Go back and read the last 10 questions and answers aloud. Ask a peer or teacher to help you with
pronunciation. Proceed to the following Pronunciation Hints section for some guidance.

PRONUNCIATION HINTS
condyloid – kŏn’dı̆ -loyd
inversion – ı̆ n-vĕr’zhŭn
adduction – ă-dŭk’shŭn
abduction – ăb-dŭk’shŭn
flexion – flĕk’shŭn

72 The Musculoskeletal System

LISTENING EXERCISE
You have just acquired some very difficult terminology. If you have the opportunity, record your-
self pronouncing the words you found most difficult in this section. Ask an English-speaking
person or an English language teacher to listen, if you can. Ask for some pronunciation guidance.

WRITING EXERCISE
This exercise asks you to conjugate verbs. It is extremely important for health professionals to be
able to describe their patient and his or her activities precisely. Before you begin the exercise,
review the Grammar Alert box.

GRAMMAR ALERT: VERBS ENDING WITH -ING Present, continuous tense verbs are
sometimes referred to as the –ing participle form of the verbs. They are found in combina-
tion with the verb “to be.” Their basic function is to describe an action still in progress.
Example: He is working today.
Adjectives ending with -ing
Adjectives of this type can describe the effect that something has on a person’s feelings
(emotions), while others can describe a process or state that continues over a period of time.
Example: A career as a surgeon is very appealing.
Nouns ending with -ing
These types of nouns, technically called gerunds, may function as the subject of a sentence or as
the object of a sentence or of a prepositions. They may or may not have an article before them.

Example: Smiling is good for your health.

She is very proud of winning that contest.
That patient won’t object to eating solid food tomorrow.

Now we will begin to look at gait and posture: the ways we walk, stand, and sit. You are given a
verb that describes less than optimal functioning of gait or posture. Use the correct form of the
verb to provide a full answer. Hint: Pay very close attention to the verb form in the question.
Example: step
What is he doing?
He is stepping.
1) shuffle
Rafe drags his feet on the ground when he walks. What is he doing?
He is shuffling .
2) stoop
Edna is 88 years old. When she stands, her back is bowed and she looks toward the ground.
How is she standing?
She is stooping .
3) slouch
Brenda never sits up straight when she watches TV. She’s doing it now. How is she sitting?
She is slouching .
4) limp
Denzel sprained his ankle yesterday. How is he walking, today?
He is limping .
5) lean
Janice has been standing on her feet for a long time. She is putting stress now on her left hip
only. How is she standing?
She is leaning on her left hip.

The Musculoskeletal System 73