Orthopedic Mnemonics

Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system and the treatment of its illnesses. It is allied to the surgery department, where the orthopedic surgeon treats injuries to bones, joints, ligaments, or tendons. The skeletal system and its 206 components hold a separate place in the medical undergraduate curriculum. There are various methods and learning aids to study orthopedics deeply and effectively. Online medical coaching is one among them, which may employ curated notes, question banks, pictograms, and mnemonics as study materials and aids. 

Orthopedics Mnemonics

Orthopedics is a branch of medicine treating illnesses in the musculoskeletal system. Even though it is a surgery-allied subject, orthopedics use surgical and non-surgical treatment techniques.

 Some common illnesses that you will come across in orthopedics are:

• Fracture
• Musculoskeletal trauma
• Nerve injury
• Neuromuscular illness
• Congenital deformity
• Joint dislocations
• Bone degradation/degeneration
• Infections
• Soft tissue diseases
• Metabolic bone disorders

Some common terms you may encounter in orthopedics include:

• Sports medicine
• Amputations, prosthetics, and orthotics
• Splints and tractions
• Joint replacement surgeries

Study aids

In India, surgery final exam papers have a complete section allotted to orthopedic questions. This subject holds slightly more importance as compared to other allied subjects. For exam preparation, students may get Apley & Solomon’s System of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Maheshwari & Mhaskar’s Essential Orthopaedics, or John Ebnezar’s Textbook of Orthopedics along with a review book. While self-study with textbooks is good, side-by-side explanation of the concepts from professors is undoubtedly better for understanding. eGurukul, an online medical coaching platform, is the brainchild of DBMCI offering pre-final and final year subjects at affordable prices to fulfill these requirements. 

Orthopedic mnemonics

A developed, updated study course uses smart ways to teach students like flashcards, pictograms, tables, charts, and flow diagrams. Mnemonics are one of the ways used by eGurukul professors. Mnemonics uses phrases to remember a list of items like symptoms of a disease, etiology, treatment choices, or drugs. For example, ‘MEDIAN TRAP’ is a mnemonic used to remember the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome: 

• M – Myxedema
• E – Edema (heart failure, OCP, pre-menstrual)
• D – Diabetes mellitus
• I – Idiopathic
• A – Acromegaly
• N – Neoplasia
• T – Trauma
• R – Rheumatoid arthritis
• A – Amyloidosis
• P – Pregnancy

In this way, you won’t miss any component while recalling the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also called median nerve compression, in which the median nerve is compressed, causing paresthesia, pain, numbness, and tingling at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. Therefore, this mnemonic becomes a self-explanatory phrase, conveying the meaning: ‘the median nerve is trapped’. 

Ortho-anatomy mnemonics

Mnemonics can be used in almost everything for easy memorization. You can use them to remember all parts of a single bone or the different bones in a structure. For example:

• Neuro-cranial bones: ‘PEST OF’ [Neurocranium]
  • P – Parietal
  • E – Ethmoid
  • S – Sphenoid
  • T – Temporal
  • O – Occipital
  • F – Frontal

The cranium comprises eight bones: occipital, two temporal bones, two parietal bones, sphenoid, ethmoid, and finally, the frontal bone. The P and T of ‘PEST OF’ have two bones, while the rest have only one bone.

• Facial Bones: ‘VAIN MM PLZ’ [Viscera cranium]
  • V – Vomer
  • A – Auditory Ossicles
  • I – Inferior Nasal Concha
  • N – Nasal
  • M – Mandible
  • M – Maxillae
  • P – Palatine
  • L – Lacrimal
  • Z – Zygomatic

Some textbooks include neurocranium bones in the facial bones list, such as the frontal, hyoid, ethmoid, and sphenoid bones. If we exclude the neurocranium bones, ‘VAIN MM PLZ’ satisfies the facial bone list.

Orthopedic-pharm mnemonics

• The mnemonic ‘CHAMP’ can be used to memorize drugs for rheumatoid arthritis. This is a chronic inflammatory condition where the immune system attacks the body’s tissues, affecting the joints and causing painful swelling. 
  • C – Cyclophosphamide
  • H – Hydroxychloroquine
  • A – Auranofin
  • M – Methotrexate
  • P – Penicillamine
    
• Anti-gout drugs can be memorized through the mnemonic ‘CAPS’.
  • C – Colchicine
  • A – Allopurinol
  • P – Probenecid
  • S – Sulfinpyrazone
    
• Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) can be recalled through two mnemonics: ‘ELISA Please Give Her Methotrexate,’ and ‘Cute PAGLI Mallika Sherawat’.

ELISA Please Give Her Methotrexate	Cute PAGLI Mallika Sherawat
E – EtanerceptL – LeflunomideI – InfliximabS – SulfasalazineA – AnakinraPlease –   PenicillamineGive –   Glucocorticoids + Gold saltsHer –   HydroxychloroquineMethotrexate – Methotrexate	Cute – ChloroquineP – PenicillamineA – AzathioprineG – Gold saltsL – LeflunomideI – Immunosuppressant drugsMallika – Methotrexate (DOC)Sherawat – Sulfasalazine

DBMCI: Ortho faculty

Dr. Sushil Vijay, an orthopedist based in Delhi, is a faculty member of DBMCI for orthopedics. He is known among medical students for his comprehensive review books and recalls summary lectures. He has authored two books: Textbook of Orthopedics and Comprehensive Review of Orthopedics. Along with video lectures, Dr. Sushil releases video transcripts of his lectures, which are available at DBMCI’s eGurukul 2.0. The offered pack also contains a chapter-wise QBank, subject test modules, faculty-assisted test discussions, and grand tests. eGurukul provides personalized packs to final-year students and FMGE, NEXT, NEET-PG, and INICET aspirants.

Conclusion

Orthopedics is an exciting specialty subject in the MBBS curriculum and a ‘dream PG’ field of choice for many. Orthopedic mnemonics are very helpful in memorizing the complicated terms, procedures, structures, and medicines involved in orthopedics. You can use mnemonics to effectively remember and recall long lists like drug names, etiology, and symptoms, and it is worth adding to your preparation strategy. To make the learning process even more fun, avail your personalized pack at eGurukul. DBMCI is one of India’s oldest PG medical coaching institutes with a legacy of 25 years. Find more about availing of these packages and further insights at www.dbmci.com.