Musculoskeletal Disease, Integrated Clinical Science Series.

Musculoskeletal Disease. Integrated Clinical Science Series This text is one of a series entitled Integrated Clinical Science, written and published in Great Britain. The goal of this series--designed for undergraduate medical students--is to approach the management of patients in such a way that "the basic scientific knowledge, the applied clinical science, and the art of clinical practice are brought together in an integrated way." Orthopedic surgery, trauma, rheumatology, and rehabilitation, which all have the musculoskeletal system as a common denominator, are addressed in this text by a variety of contributing authors. The editors indicate that they have designed a text appropriate to the relatively limited time allowed in the average medical school curriculum for these subjects; thus, none of the topics is covered in the depth one would expect in a reference text, and students would be expected to supplement their knowledge by further reading and by clinical exposure to patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

The text is well written and amply illustrated. The format is noteworthy for its clarity, accuracy, and quality and is especially pleasing to the eye; the publishers are to be commended for their use of color in chapter headings, subtitles, and certain illustrations and for the absence of obvious errors of grammar, spelling, and word usage. The illustrations are placed appropriately in relationship to the written text, diagrams are well labeled and drawn, and radiographs are reproduced with exceptional clarity.

The book begins with a chapter that deals with elements of a musculoskeletal evaluation: history taking, review of symptoms and factors related to them, general and specific tests, and radiologic examination. Following are chapters on trauma of the limbs and trunk, generalized disorders of the skeleton, soft tissue lesions, infections of bones and joints, disorders of nerve muscle, tumors, amputations, and rheumatic disorders. The text ends with a chapter entitled "Rehabilitation," which contains information pertinent to rehabilitation services in Great Britain.

The editors appear to have achieved their purpose: the provision of basic facts in an integrated fashion. Although designed for undergraduate medical students in Great Britain, the material presented would be useful to American physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students who desire an overview of musculoskeletal disease; however, in my opinion, it would not serve as a primary text, particularly for physical therapy students, in the areas of orthopedic surgery, soft tissue injury, or rheumatology. The information presented in the chapter on rehabilitation would have limited value in settings outside the United Kingdom.