1.8. Keeping Bones and Joints Healthy http://www.ck12.org
Preventing Injuries
Preventing injuries to your bones and ligaments is easier and much less painful than treating an injury. Wearing the
correct safety equipment when performing activities that require such equipment can help prevent many common
injuries. For example, wearing a bicycle helmet can help prevent a skull injury if you fall. Warming up and cooling
down properly can help prevent ligament and muscle injuries. Stretching before and after activity also helps prevent
injuries.
Vocabulary
- arthritis: Inflammation of a joint causing pain and swelling.
- calcium: Element that is a component of bone; a necessary element in nerve conduction, heartbeat, muscle
contraction, and many other physiological functions. - fracture: Break in bone.
- ligament: Short band of tough connective tissue that connects bones together to form a joint.
- osteoarthritis: Condition in which cartilage breaks down in joints, causing stiffness and pain.
- osteoporosis: Disease in which bones become more fragile and likely to break.
- sprains: Injuries to ligaments where a joint is put through a range of motion greater than its normal range.
- vitamin D: Any of a group of sterols necessary for normal bone growth; found in milk, fish, and eggs and can
be produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight.
Summary
- You can keep your bones healthy through weight-bearing exercises and getting enough calcium and vitamin
D in your diet. - Possible problems of the skeletal system include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, fractures, and sprains.
Practice
Use the resource below to answer the questions that follow.
- Healthy Bones and Jointsat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHwJq1TJE18 (1:47)
MEDIA
Click image to the left for more content.- How much calcium does the average person need per day? What are good sources of calcium? What vitamin
helps you process calcium? - How do weight-bearing exercises help your bones?
- How can table salt (NaCl) be bad for your bones?
Review
- What are two good habits to keep your skeletal system healthy?
- What is osteoarthritis?