A System of Orthopaedic Medicine has established itself as an essential reference source for all those working in the field of musculoskeletal disorders. It describes a logical system of clinical examination of all musculoskeletal structures. By carefully following the examination sequence described, the clinician can be confident of arriving at an accurate diagnosis around which to plan the appropriate treatment. Originally based on the approach to orthopaedic medicine developed by James Cyriax, the book is relevant to any clinician concerned with the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal pain. The system relies entirely on basic clinical skills and requires none of the apparatus usually found only in hospitals. For this reason it will be of particular value to family doctors, physiotherapists, rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons and those working in sports medicine.

The treatments described are simple and have proved their effectiveness through time. For any treatment to be successful, accurate diagnosis must be followed by carefully focused therapy to the affected area. For this reason, considerable detail is given on palpation of the anatomical structures and the correct performance of each therapeutic technique.

The accurate assessment of the cause of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction is one of the biggest challenges for clinicians today. In a society where everyone now wants to remain fit and active well into old age, practitioners and therapists are expected to be able to identify the cause of every ache and pain and then correct it. While this may not always be possible, those using this book will find that it helps them to identify the source of the problem more quickly and surely. A System of Orthopaedic Medicine is a book that no practitioner concerned with providing the most appropriate treatment and rehabilitation program for musculoskeletal disorders should ignore.