This CU is of the modular type and is taught four times a year to one group of students at a time, during the 3rd year. CU takes precedence Growth and Development I and II CU.
Intended learning outcomes (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by the students)
This CU covers chronic diseases of the locomotor system from the neurological control to the musculoskeletal effector. The objective is to achieve the integration of basic, pathophysiological and clinical knowledge, essential to patient assessment as well as the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the areas of anamnesis and physical examination and in the performance of differential diagnoses in these areas (namely the ones due to neurological, rheumatological, muscular, bone diseases, among others). Important points focus on the biomedical, psychosocial and social aspects of chronic diseases (knowledge on diagnostic skills) and the role of physicians in the critical analysis of primary, secondary and tertiary care orientation. It should cover not only the characterization of the clinical scenarios, but also the discussion of issues relevant to diagnosis, prognosis, therapy (indications and contraindications) and evaluation of the applied strategy.
Syllabus
General topics - are to be considered as an additional emphasis to further explore the patient contact and should be:
- Introduction, basic aspects and ‘framework’ for bio/psycho/social factors
- Critical diagnostic decisions
- Structural and degenerative disorders
- Therapeutic decisions
- Inflammatory disorders
- Movement control problems of the Locomotor Apparatus
- Psychosocial and cognitive factors
- Phases of life, gender and culture
- Pain & rehabilitation
- Synthesis & integration
Anatomical topics - study of the anatomy each of the different locomotory regions along with the related SkillsLab activities:
- Lower limbs (hip, knee, ankle, foot)
- Back, Neck, Shoulders
- Elbow, Wrist, Hand
Clinical topics and Medical specialities – patient contacts will cover different specialties:
- Orthopaedics
- Rheumatology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Medical psychology
- Anaesthesiology/Pain management
- Rehabilitation
- Traumatology
- Vestibular Disorders.
