Common soft tissue injuries and disorders

Abstract

Soft tissue disorders are often seen in orthopaedic practice. Non-acute injuries commonly result from chronic musculotendinous inflammatory pathology or an enthesopathy (inflammation at a site where a tendon, ligament or fascia is attached to bone). While some conditions may result from an underlying disease, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis (see ‘Degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis (including joint replacement)’, page 31), most are caused by repetitive trauma that causes fatigue failure of collagen fibres. The inflammatory repair process causes pain, heat and swelling. The repetitive trauma may disrupt the repair fibrils, however, inducing further inflammation. Repetitive trauma may result from sport or an occupation (where the conditions are sometimes grouped under the name of repetitive strain injury, with significant medico-legal implications, see CROSS REFERENCES).