A pocket guide to musculoskeletal diagnosis

OVERALL RATING Very good STRENGTHS Well organized; well illustrated; suggests key questions to guide history taking WEAKNESSES Offers some controversial suggestions AUDIENCE Practitioners treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system

This handbook provides many valuable features for practitioners treating disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The author, Dr Grant Cooper, approaches diseases of the locomotor network in an intriguing fashion.

Chapters are based on different parts of the anatomy. They are organized in a consistent fashion. Each section has a brief introduction entitled “First Thoughts.” This is followed by a segment called “History,” where the author elaborates on key queries that should be addressed in taking a medical history—for example, when interviewing a patient with knee pain, it is vital to ask about discomfort in the hip or ankle. Such an approach is very effective and alerts readers to Dr Cooper’s expertise and experience.

Once the history has been discussed, the reader is offered a well illustrated and carefully crafted model of the physical examination. The language is quite simple and is thus readily understood by most readers. The graphics illustrating the physical examination are consistent and have human subjects (not mannequins or models) performing the diagnostic maneuvers. This is fundamental to facilitating the transfer of that skill (doing a physical examination) to the clinic environment.

The author then discusses very basic procedures for managing and treating many disorders in each body area (eg, shoulder).

We have few criticisms of this publication. The pocket guide would have benefited from illustrations of the basic anatomy of each body area. Also, the author has been superficial in detailing the management of many ailments. That being said, such a weakness exists in most books that are attempting to be “pocket” references.

Some would disagree with the notion of using modalities that are not evidence-based (eg, oral glucosamine for managing osteoarthritis of the hip). Further, the book mentions the importance of the Q angle of the knee as reflecting disordered tracking of the patella even though this idea remains highly controversial.

Nonetheless, Dr Cooper has provided a rather tidy booklet outlining his experiences with many disorders and injuries of the locomotor system.

Overall, the book was well organized and concise and offered key information regarding the common musculoskeletal diseases seen in primary care office practice.

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