The skeletal system/ Evelyn Kelly.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Functions of the skeletal system -- Bones of the central skeleton: the axial system -- Bones of the limbs: the appendicular system -- Joints, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage -- Bone growth and renewal -- The embryology of the skeletal system -- The ancient world: bones and the beginnings of orthopedics -- The rise of Christianity through the Dark Ages: bones, religion, and superstition -- The Renaissance: the skeletal system as anatomy text -- The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: the rise of orthopedics -- The nineteenth century: orthopedics as a speciality -- The twentieth century: bones, research, and advancing technology -- The twenty-first century and beyond: a new world of bones -- The injury-plagued skeleton -- Diseases and disorders of the joints -- Feet, hands, and backs -- Diseases and disorders of bones -- Genetic and congenital disorders.