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Bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and growth
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| First we have to learn some ANATOMY. We need
to know a bit about bones and joints, muscles and tendons
and ligaments, and the difference between adults' and kids'
bodies. |
Bones
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There are 206 bones of various shapes and sizes in your
body!
In children and young adults the periosteum is thicker.
This helps to protect the bone.
Young bone bends further before breaking, has a better
blood supply, and heals more quickly than adult bone.
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Long bones, such as those in your arm and
leg, are made up of bone marrow, surrounded by compact bone. This is covered by a layer
called the periosteum (perry-ost-e-um).
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On the down side, young bone have growthplates
at the ends (Epiphyseal plate). These areas are more susceptible
to injury than the fused ends of adult bone and are important
in ensuring your bones grow properly.
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| Osteoporosis is a disease of bones where they
become weak and fragile in later life. There is evidence to
suggest that exercising while you are young may help make
your bones stronger and protect you from this disease. |
Joints
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Joints occur where two bones meet. Most of the joints in your body
are freely moving joints called synovial joints. These allow
you to bend, and jump, and stretch.
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Muscles, tendons and ligaments
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Muscles contract (shorten) to bring the ends closer together
and relax (lengthen) to let the ends move apart.
Muscles are attached to bones by cord-like extensions called tendons.
In the adolescent skeleton, tendons attach to a growthplate called
an apopyses (a-pof-i-sez). The area where the tendon
attaches may be weaker than the tendon itself. In adults, where
the growthplate fuses the tendon is weaker than the bone.
Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that attach to the
bones and form a joint.
Ligaments provide stability to the joint by restricting
movement and holding the bones in place.
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Growth
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A growth spurt is a period of rapid growth and usually occurs at
about 14 years in males and 12 years in females. At your peak you
could be growing at a rate of 10 to 12 cm a year!
Bones tend to grow ahead of muscles, which means that muscles and
tendons become tight and more easily strained.
Muscles should work well in a well balanced, coordinated way. If
a muscle is too strong, weak, or tight, it will lead to an imbalance
of muscle function and become a possible cause of injury.
As your body size is changing, this can affect your balance and
coordination. For all these reasons you are more susceptible to
injury.
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