On the nature and treatment of the deformities of the human frame : being a course of lectures delivered at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 1843 ; with numerous notes and additions to the present time / by W.J. Little.

  • William Little
Date:
1853
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the nature and treatment of the deformities of the human frame : being a course of lectures delivered at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 1843 ; with numerous notes and additions to the present time / by W.J. Little. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    Permanent muscular contraction may be induced in various ways. Long-continued repose of a limb in the flexed position has a tendency to produce a gradual short- ening of the muscles on the flexed side of the articu- lations, so that on the attempt to resume the use of the member, a contraction of certain muscles is observed to exist, impeding the movement of the articulations. Or a spastic action of certain muscles of an articulation may arise from disorder of the nervous system, producing con- stant contraction of the muscles and constant distortion. Numerous other causes of this condition of muscles exist. An increase of bulk is an occasional accompaniment of the state of tonic contraction. The involuntary incessant spastic action of the muscle tends to an increased deve- lopment of the fibrillae and aggregate mass of the muscle in a manner similar to the effect of voluntary activity of muscle. This augmented bulk should not be con- founded with the apparent increase of bulk produced by simple contraction of the belly of the muscle, consequent on approximation of its origin and insertion. After a certain duration of contraction, from whatever cause the muscular fibres undergo certain changes in their intimate texture, which render them incapable of volun- tary elongation whenever the cause of the contraction may be removed. J To this condition of contracted muscles I apply the term structural shortening. It would appear that under the influence of repose, the origin and insertion of the muscles being approbated the muscular fibres become adapted n their length to the altered [topographical] relation of the parts 0f the member, and loss of elasticity, or of the tlTZ SUCCTd-Cl ^ °ther of which the most frequent is a diminution of bulk or wasting, to which the term atrophy is applied ; and some pathologists ar of opimo, that atrophy of long continuance has I tendency