Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Practical Guide for Diagnosis and Rehabilitation.

The stated purposes of this book are to provide information about musculoskeletal disorders to the clinician who does not have "extensive formal training" in this area, and to facilitate communication between physicians, therapists, and trainers. The book is divided into three main parts, with 28 chapters contributed by 24 authors.

Part 1, the introductory section, provides the reader with general terminology and principles relating to anatomic nomenclature, basic tissue structure, injury and healing, and commonly used medications in the treatment of the musculoskeletal system. This section also includes overview chapters on evaluation, diagnostic procedures, and rehabilitation techniques, including manual therapy and exercise prescription. The strength of this section of the book is the chapter on common medications.

Part 2 includes chapters on the management of each of the major regions of the human body. Each of the eight chapters in this section is organized to present a brief summary of the anatomy of the joint(s) in question, typical rehabilitation approaches, examination and testing techniques, diagnosis and treatment of specific disorders, and a case report. Each chapter is illustrated to present anatomical structures as well as common testing procedures of the body part. References for some chapters are adequate and current@ most of the references for a number of chapters were older than expected.

Part 3 contains short chapters on specific musculoskeletal conditions such as fibromylgia, conditions common to the pediatric and geriatric populations, chronic pain, and issues related to disability. Although the information presented in these chapters is brief, it is valuable and clinically applicable. The points of summary at the end of each chapter are helpful as they stimulate additional thought and interest in the topic.

This text is of limited use to the experienced physician or therapist, but may be useful to recently graduated general practitioners. Because of the author's attempt to be succinct, some of the information throughout the book is overly simplified and, therefore, potentially confusing. Although there are several good chapters in this book, there are other books available that may be more useful to the health care practitioner who is interested in learning more about how to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal disorders.