Musculoskeletal disorders

This chapter describes the major musculoskeletal diseases stating manifestations, associations, and their implications for pregnancy, delivery, and obstetric anaesthesia. It reviews and summarizes the literature, presenting the available evidence for methods of mitigating risks to the parturient. The chapter starts by discussing the pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis, and management of malignant hyperthermia. The following conditions are then introduced in turn: backache, scoliosis, myopathies (including myotonic dystrophy), Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, achondroplasia, and osteogenesis imperfecta. The chapter aims to provide a pragmatic resource to allow obstetric anaesthetists to make informed decisions and management plans when faced with caring for a parturient with an uncommon musculoskeletal condition.