Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Book Review Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, edited by Walter R. Frontera and Julie K. Silver, 836 pp, with illus, $95, Philadelphia, Pa, Hanley & Belfus (telephone: 800-962-1892), 2002, ISBN 1-56053-443-5 Type and Scope of Book: A multiauthored overview of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Contents: The book is broadly divided into 2 sections. The first section contains 91 chapters devoted to musculoskeletal disorders, organized by anatomical region from head and neck to foot and ankle. The second section consists of 53 chapters that address specific rehabilitation diagnoses commonly encountered in both inpatient and outpatient populations. Although some overlap occurs between the 2 broad sections, in general each chapter presents the definition of a particular problem, associated symptoms, physical examination findings, functional limitations, diagnostic studies, differential diagnosis, and treatment strategies in a specific, concise, easy-to-read format. The inclusion of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes and synonyms is a useful part of each chapter. The rehabilitation section of the book tends to provide more detail as well as more comprehensive reference lists in comparison with the first section on musculoskeletal problems. Strengths: The primary strength of the book is the multitude of topics covered in chapters short enough to be read quickly, making the book an easy-to-use resource for busy clinicians. Deficiencies: The major deficiency of the text is the lack of depth allotted to most topics and the paucity of references. This problem was most prevalent in the musculoskeletal section. Recommended Readership: Medical students, residents, general practitioners, and inpatient and outpatient clinicians. Overall Grading: ### Elizabeth A. Huntoon, MD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn

Grading Key ★★★★★ = outstanding; ★★★★ = excellent; ★★★ = good; ★★ = fair; ★ = poor.

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