a room with a view

On a non-OT note, I thought I'd share three photos taken from my Community Practice classroom. Washington Square Park under snow and in all its glory. Sometimes it's best to stop thinking for a moment and enjoy the view.




And when class is over, you get to see Beauty up close and personal.

one of my professors

My Pediatric Perspective professor Kristie Koenig, pronounced "KAY nig". One of my favorite classes, even though I don't see myself going into pediatrics. This class (plus my little niece and nephew) are giving me the peds bug.

Kristie Koenig to receive the AOTA Roster of Fellows

the joy of hands

Sally Poole is the kinesiology instructor this semester. It's a fun, hands-on class that puts anatomy into action. Because I'm very much interested in hands, I'll go through a run-down as to what we've done so far. We started off with the wrist, it's bones, ligaments, and significance. The ligaments look complicated, but if you have a good atlas and common sense, following the patterns isn't difficult.

There are 5 extrinsic ligaments:

1. Dorsal radio-carpal ligament
2. Volar radio-carpal ligament (the strongest) - radiocapitate, radiotriquetral, and radioscaphoid
3. Volar ulnar-carpal ligament - ulnolunate, ulnotriquetral, and capitotriquetral
4. Radio collateral ligament
5. Ulnar collateral ligament

The intrinsic (intercarpal) ligaments have not been named, however I found a hand kinesiology site that really helps with the visuals. Hand Kinesiology

Muscles that act on the wrist: FCU, FCR, PL, ECRL, ECRB, and ECU.

Professor Poole challenged the entire class to search for the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) in anatomy. I was amazed at the amount of lubrication at the joints, especially between the carpal joints. Then I cracked the wrist open, scraped away tissue and located the TFCC just distal to the ulna.

We briefly touched on the arthokinematics at the distal radius, radio-carpal joint and mid-carpal joint. And ended with wrist positions:

Position of rest:

1. 10-15 degrees extension
2. 5-10 degrees ulnar deviation

Position of function:

1. 40-45 degrees extension
2. 15 dgrees ulnar deviation

NEXT TIME: THE HAND!