Composition of a Bone

The bone has five main functions
1. Support: They support the body.
2. Protection: They keep organs away from damage, such as the rib cage and the skull.
3. Movement: The joints allow for movement.
4. Storage: The bone stores fat and some minerals.
5. Blood cell formation: The bone is the place that most of your blood components are made.

Composition of the Bone
The inside of the bone is made of three primal tissue layers: periosteum-sound, compact bone, and spongy bone.

• Periosteum The periosteum is a glistening double layered tissue which covers the hard bone called the compact bone. The periosteum can not be seen by the naked eye. The periosteum is exceedingly important since its lower layer houses bone forming cells called osteoblast-sound. Also, the double layer serves as a place where tendons and ligaments can insert and anchor into the bone.
• Compact Bone Compact bone seems very hard when seen by the normal eye, but at a microscopic level, the compact bone is very hollow. Canals called canaliculi-sound, which are filled with blood vessels, channel through the bone and all join to many major canals called Haversian canals-sound. These canals make the bone hollow. The compact bone is also rich with nerves. The hardness of the bone is made by spider like ostecytes-sound, mature bone cells, which surround the caniculli and Heversian canals.
• Spongy Bone Spongy bone is not exactly spongy. Towards the center of the bone, the bone gets hollower. This is why it is called spongy. Located within the spongy bone is red bone marrow-sound and yellow bone marrow-sound. Red bone marrow is what makes red blood cells. The majority of the red bone marrow for an adult is located in the head of the femur and humerus. Yellow bone marrow is stored fat. This marrow can sometimes turn in to red bone marrow when a person is very anemic.

Parts of a bone
The diagram below shows a "typical" bone.

• Hyaline cartilage
  Cartilage covers the ends of the bones. The smooth surfaces stops the bones rubbing together and absorbs shock.
• Epiphysis
  This is the name for the extremity of the bones.
• Cancellous bone
  This is sometimes called Spongy Bone and stores the red bone marrow where blood cells are manufactured.
• Epiphyseal plate
  A line across the bone from where the bone grows in length.
• Diaphysis
  The shaft of the bone.
• Compact bone
  The word "compact" suggests a hard part of the bone. It surrounds the yellow bone marrow in the diaphysis and gives strength to the hollow part of the bone.
• Periosteum
  Where there is no hyaline cartilage, the periosteum covers the surface of the bone. Ligaments and tendons are attached to the periosteum.
• Medullary cavity
  This space inside the diaphysis contains the yellow bone marrow.

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

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Note: All information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Full Mouth Restoration

What is Full Mouth Restoration?

Full Mouth Restoration, sometimes called neuromuscular dentistry, is the individual restructuring of each and every tooth. Neuromuscular dentistry places the jaw into its optimal position, relieving the symptoms associated with TMJ (temporomandibular joint or jaw joint). While traditional dentistry evaluates primarily the teeth, bones, and gums, neuromuscular dentistry attempts to solve the root of the misalignment problem(s) by understanding the soft tissues, muscles, and nerves. This method of treatment determines the optimal physiological position of the jaw by measuring the relaxed position of head and neck muscles and then repositions the jaw to achieve those exact measurements.


What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome or TMJ joint disorders are medical problems related to the jaw joint. The TMJ connects the lower jaw to the skull (temporal bone) under your ear. Certain facial muscles control chewing. Problems in this area can cause head and neck pain, a jaw that is locked in position or difficult to open, problems biting, and popping sounds when you bite.


What causes TMJ pain?

The TMJ or Temperomandibular Joint is the "hinge" that functions when the jaw opens and closes. There are many theories and practices to treating TMJ pain. Every TMJ dentist will have his or her own theory on TMJ treatment. People will often report neck and upper back pain, headaches, sore muscles and even migraines. Neuromuscular dentistry practices under the premise that when the teeth are shortened (either by wear, grinding, old age, clenching or even the cumulative effects of large amounts of dentistry) then the jaw over-closes causing stress and pressure in the TMJ. By restoring the vertical dimension to the teeth or by positioning a carefully fitted orthotic optimal health and function is restored to the TMJ. Many people suffering from TMJ pain have found relief using the techniques and theories of neuromuscular dentistry.

Symptoms of TMJ pain

* Headaches / Migraines
* Facial pain
* Neck and shoulder pain
* Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears)
* Vertigo (dizziness)
* Tic doulereaux (trigeminal neuralgia), a neuropathic pain disorder unrelated to TMD
* Bell's Palsy, a nerve disorder unrelated to TMD
* Unexplained loose teeth
* Sensitive and sore teeth
* Jaw pain
* Limited jaw movement or locking jaw
* Numbness in the fingers and arms (related to the cervical musculature and nerves, not to TMD)
* Worn or cracked teeth
* Clicking or popping in the jaw joints
* Depression

Neuromuscular dentistry uses computer modeling of the patient's jaw movements and sonography of the TMJ to check for the extent of joint damage. Surface EMG's are used to verify pre-treatment conditions and if true rest is obtained by TENS. TENS (ultra-low frequency transcutaneous electrical neural stimulation) is used to locate "physiological rest" of the jaw muscles.

Once a physiologic rest position is found the doctor can determine the optimal positioning of the lower jaw to the upper jaw. An orthotic is commonly worn for 3-6 months (24 hours per day) to realign the jaw, at which point orthodontic treatment, use of the orthotic as a "crutch", overlay partial, or orthodontic treatment and/or rehabilitation of the teeth is recommended to correct teeth and jaw position.

Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Pelvis Fixation

What is Pelvis?

The pelvis is the bony ring like structure located at the base of the spine. The pelvis incorporates the socket portion of the hip joint for each leg. It forms the lower limb (or hind-limb) girdle of the skeleton. Strong connective tissues (ligaments) join the pelvis to the large triangular bone (sacrum) at the base of the spine. This creates a bowl-like cavity below the rib cage. On each side, there is a hollow cup (acetabulum) that serves as the socket for the hip joint.


Purpose of the Pelvis

The pelvis protects the digestive and reproductive organs in the lower part of the body, and many large nerves and blood vessels pass through it to supply to the legs. It is also an important load-bearing part of the skeletal system. It also provides a connection between the axial skeleton and the hind limbs, that is, the legs. The hind limb consists of several bones such as the femur, tibia, fibula, tarsus, metatarsus and phalanges. The femur is the largest bone in the human body. Its lower end articulates with the tibia to form a hinge joint at the knee. The fibula is a shorter and smaller bone. Both the tibia and fibula form joints with the tarsus at the ankle.


Pelvis Fracture

Pelvic fracture is a disruption of the bony structure of the pelvis. The most common cause in elderly is a fall, but the most significant fractures involve high-energy forces such as a motor vehicle accident or a fall from significant height. Diagnosis is made on the basis of history, clinical features and special investigations usually including x-ray and CT. Pelvic fractures may produce significant bleeding. Emergency treatment consists of Advanced Trauma Life Support management. After stabilization, the pelvis may be surgically reconstructed.


Diagnosis

A broken pelvis is painful, often swollen and bruised. The individual may try to keep the hip or knee bent in a specific position to avoid aggravating the pain. If the fracture is due to trauma, there may also be injuries to the head, chest or legs. There is usually considerable bleeding, which can lead to shock. The injuries must be stabilized and the individual taken to a trauma center for definitive care. All pelvic fractures require X-rays, usually from different angles, to show the degree of displacement to the bones. A computed tomography (CT) scan may be ordered to define the extent of other injuries. The physician will also examine the blood vessels and nerves to the legs to see if they have been injured.


Treatment

Pelvic fractures that result from high-energy trauma are often life-threatening injuries because of the extensive bleeding. In these cases, doctors may use an external fixator to stabilize the pelvic area. This device has long screws that are inserted into the bones on each side and connected to a frame outside the body. The external fixator allows surgeons to address the internal injuries to organs, blood vessels and nerves.

What happens next depends on the type of fracture and the patient's condition. Each case must be assessed individually, particularly with unstable fractures. Some pelvic fractures may require traction; for others, the external fixator may be sufficient. Unstable fractures may require surgical insertion of plates or screws of a biocompatible metal.


Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.

Spinal Arthritis

What is arthritis?

“Arthritis” is a general term that describes many different diseases causing tenderness, pain, swelling, and stiffness of joints as well as abnormalities of various soft tissues of the body. Of the combined term, “arthros” means a joint and its attachments, and “–itis” means inflammation. Various forms of arthritis affect nearly 50 million Americans and contribute to the majority of all physical disabilities.

Of the several varieties of arthritis, the most common, the most frequently disabling, and often the most painful is osteo- (meaning bone) arthritis, mostly affecting the weight bearing joints (hips and knees) plus the hands, feet and spine. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease and affects up to 30 million Americans, mostly women and usually those over 45 or 50 years of age.


Osteoarthritis of the spine

Spinal arthritis is one of the common causes of back pain. Spinal arthritis is the mechanical breakdown of the cartilage between the aligning facet joints in the back portion (posterior) of the spine that quite often leads to mechanically induced pain. The facet joints (also called vertebral joints or zygophyseal joints) become inflamed and progressive joint degeneration creates more frictional pain. Back motion and flexibility decrease in proportion to the progression of back pain induced while standing, sitting and even walking. Over time, bone spurs (small irregular growths on the bone also called osteophytes) typically form on the facet joints and even around the spinal vertebrae. Bone spurs are also seen as a normal part of aging and do not directly cause pain, but may become so large as to cause irritation or entrapment of nerves passing through spinal structures, and may result in diminished room for the nerves to pass (spinal stenosis).

Osteoarthritis in the spine is anatomically divided into:

• Lower back (lumbar spine) osteoarthritis, sometimes called lumbosacral arthritis, which produces stiffness and pain in the lower spine and sacroiliac joint (between the spine and pelvis).
• Neck (cervical spine) osteoarthritis, sometimes called cervical spondylosis (spondy- implies the spine, and –osis is an abnormal condition), which can cause stiffness and pain in the upper spine, neck, shoulders, arms and head.
  

Causes of osteoarthritis and spinal arthritis

Repetitive trauma to the spine from repetitive strains caused by accidents, surgery, sports injuries, poor posture, or work-related activities are common causes of spinal arthritis. Other known risk factors for developing spinal arthritis include:

• Aging: steady and advanced aging of spinal structures, beginning in the 30’s, often work-related
• Gender: osteoarthritis being more common in post-menopausal women (although below age 45, it is more common in males)
• Excess weight: causing more stress on weight-bearing joints and the spine, particularly during the middle age years
• Genetics: having a family history of osteoarthritis or congenital defects of joints, spine, or leg abnormalities
• Associated diseases: the presence of other associated diseases, infections, diabetes, and various other forms of circulating arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout

Surgery for spinal arthritis

For spinal arthritis, the only effective surgical treatment is spine fusion surgery to stop the motion at the painful joint. Spinal fusion may also be referred to as “arthrodesis”. Fusion is a surgical technique in which one or more of the vertebrae of the spine are united together ("fused") so that motion no longer occurs between them. During spinal fusion surgery bone grafts are placed around the spine during surgery. The body then heals the grafts over several months - similar to healing a fracture - which joins, or "welds," the vertebrae together.


When Is Fusion Needed?

There are many potential reasons for a surgeon to consider fusing the vertebrae. These include: treatment of a fractured (broken) vertebra; correction of deformity (spinal curves or slippages); elimination of pain from painful motion; treatment of instability; and treatment of some cervical disc herniations.


How Long Will It Take To Recover?

The immediate discomfort following spinal fusion is generally greater than with other types of spinal surgeries. Fortunately, there are excellent methods of postoperative pain control available, including oral pain medications and intravenous injections. Another option is a patient-controlled postoperative pain control pump. With this technique, the patient presses a button that delivers a predetermined amount of narcotic pain medication through an intravenous line. This device is frequently used for the first few days following surgery.

Recovery following fusion surgery is generally longer than for other types of spinal surgery. Patients generally stay in the hospital for three or four days, but a longer stay after more extensive surgery is not uncommon. A short stay in a rehabilitation unit after release from the hospital is often recommended for patients who had extensive surgery, or for elderly or debilitated patients.

The decision whether or not to undergo spinal fusion is complex and involves many factors related to the condition being treated, the age and health of the patient, and the patient's anticipated level of function following surgery. This decision must therefore be made carefully and should be discussed thoroughly with your surgeon.


Healthbase is a medical tourism facilitator that connects patients to leading JCI/JCAHO/ISO accredited hospitals overseas through a secure, high-tech, information-rich web portal. Healthbase provides a wide range of medical procedures through its partner hospital network. Over two hundred medical procedures are available in various categories: cosmetic and plastic, orthopedic, dental, cardiac, and many more. The savings are up to 80 percent from typical US prices even after adding up the travel costs, hospital stay and other related expenses. Healthbase offers more than just procedural availability; we also provide customers with extensive information on medical treatments, hospital and doctor profiles to help them make an educated decision regarding their treatment; travel planning and booking; applying for medical/dental loan and much more.

To learn more, visit http://www.healthbase.com/ and login to view our extensive hospital profiles including pictures of operating rooms, patient rooms, doctor qualifications, and lots more. Get a FREE quote now!!

Note: All information presented here has been obtained from publicly available medical resources and is here for reference purposes only. Healthbase does not claim to be a medical professional and does not provide any advice on any issues relating to medical treatment.