Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Applied Pathology

Applied Pathology
6
12483
2
First semester
OB
ADVANCED TRAINING
MEDICINE II
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English

Teaching staff


Dr. BALAGUER CASTRO, Mariano - mbalaguerc@uic.es

Introduction

This subject introduces the student to the applied understanding of the main pathologies of the musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular systems, with special emphasis on the pathophysiological, biomechanical, and functional aspects relevant to Bioengineering.

The course's approach is integrative: it combines essential clinical knowledge with a bioengineering perspective, including criteria for functional evaluation, principles of orthoprosthetic design, applied biomechanics, and knowledge of the materials and technologies used to compensate for or restore altered functions.

Through lectures, case studies, and guided work, the student will learn to identify the main pathological alterations, understand their mechanisms, and relate them to clinical needs that lead to biomedical solutions.

Pre-course requirements

The student must have prior knowledge of:

  • Human anatomy

  • Physiology of the musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular systems

  • Fundamentals of biomechanics and bioengineering

Objectives

Upon completing the subject, the student will be able to:

  1. Understand the pathophysiological principles of the most relevant musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases.

  2. Recognize key signs and symptoms, interpreting them from a functional and biomechanical perspective.

  3. Apply basic clinical knowledge to analyze therapeutic needs susceptible to orthoprosthetic or technological solutions.

  4. Hierarchically establish the complementary examinations indicated in musculoskeletal and neurological pathology.

  5. Differentiate conservative and surgical therapeutic options that condition the design or indication of biomedical devices.

  6. Use medical and bioengineering terminology correctly and rigorously.

  7. Understand the functional prognosis and the impact on motion and mobility.

  8. Know basic follow-up and evolution protocols.

  9. Apply fundamental concepts of Evidence-Based Medicine to the assessment of pathology in bioengineering.

  10. Develop autonomy in the search for and critical selection of scientific information.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • CN02 - Associate the assessments and implantable materials with the variability in the expression of diseases and biological differences between sexes.
  • CN05 - Recognise the anatomy and physiology applied to the structures involved in bioengineering.
  • HB15 - Identify how bioengineering issues affect the specific needs or characteristics of men and women, in biological, social and cultural aspects, respecting the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, and the promotion of human rights as well as the values of a culture of peace and democratic values that include the promotion of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotyped language.

Learning outcomes of the subject

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Identify and describe relevant osteoarticular, muscular, and neurological structures, relating them to their functions and pathological vulnerabilities.

  • Analyze the biomechanics of body segments and interpret how pathology alters movement.

  • Recognize orthopedic pathology and relate it to orthoprosthetic criteria.

  • Recognize pathologies that may require amputation and relate them to prosthetic solutions.

  • Understand the role of the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and tissue biology in musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular pathological processes.

Syllabus

NOVES PRESPECTIVES DE LA NEURO REHABILITACIÓ

 

 

 

PATHOLOGY APPLIED TO DISEASES OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM

1. General principles of pathology and generalities of the human body.

2. Diagnostic imaging.

3. Fractures.

4. Amputations.

5. Soft tissue injuries and sports pathology.

6. Ligamentous and osteoarticular pathology.

7. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

8. Most frequent pathologies and orthopedic procedures in the upper extremity.

9. Most frequent pathology and orthopedic procedures in the lower extremity.

10. Most frequent pathology and orthopedic procedures in the trunk and spine.

11. Assessment of walking and jumping.

12. Altered gait and jump.

 

 

PATHOLOGY APPLIED TO DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

1. General aspects of the development of the nervous system and the pathologies related to the formation of the brain.

2. Processes of adult plasticity and neurodegenerative pathologies.

3. Reward circuits and addiction pathologies.

4. Generalities of motor circuits. Neuromuscular synapse and related pathologies.

5. Spinal cord injuries

6. Irrigation of the nervous system and cerebrovascular pathologies.

7. Generalities of sensory circuits, aging processes. Pathologies of the sense organs.

8. Mechanisms of pain.

9. General aspects of the endocrine system and related pathologies.

 

PATHOLOGY APPLIED TO DISEASES OF THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

1. Generalities of the development of the cardiovascular system.

2. Mechanical pathology of the heart.

3. Valvular pathology.

4. Pathology in the electrical function of the heart.

5. Vascular pathology.



NEW PERSPECTIVES OF NEURO REHABILITATION

Teaching and learning activities

In person



TRAINING ACTIVITYMETHODOLOGYCOMPETENCES
Lectures are the setting for: learning and managing the terminology and language structures related to each scientific field. Practicing and developing oral and written communication skills. And learning how to analyse the bibliography and literature on Bioengineering. Using guidelines to identify and understand the main ideas during lectures. This academic activity has been an essential tool in education since it first began and should have a significant presence within the framework of this degree programme.
Case studies are a learning technique in which the subject is faced with a description of a specific situation that involves a problem, that must be understood, evaluated and resolved by a group of people through a process of debate. Case studies will generally be undertaken through group work, which promotes student participation, thus developing their critical thinking skills. It also prepares students for decision-making, teaching them to defend their arguments and contrast them with opinions from others in the group.
Student activities guided by the lecturer/professor will be undertaken on-site and the student’s evolution will be monitored consistently.
In theory classes the fundamental and scientific knowledge that forms the basis of the knowledge and rigour that engineering studies require must be established.
Individual work, involving study, the search for information, data processing and the internalisation of knowledge will allow students to consolidate their learning.
The idea is to provide students with interactive tutorials, in which the lecturer/professor responds to a request for information from the student. If necessary, the tutor will hold a debate with the student.

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



First Sitting (First Attempt)

 

Final Grade: 55% Final Exam + 25% Midterm Exam + 20% Continuous Assessment

 

MIDTERM EXAM

 

  • 15 – 25 multiple-choice questions (test).

  • May include images worked on in class or content worked on at home.

  • Covers all material up to the previous session.

 

FINAL EXAM

 

  • 30-40 multiple-choice questions (test).

  • May include images worked on in class, assignments, continuous assessment content, content worked on at home, etc.

 

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

 

  • Continuous assessment: questions, assignments, and tests carried out during class (whether conducted orally, in writing, or virtually). Due to the nature of this assessment, there will be no possibility of review for this section. 

OBSERVATIONS

 

  • To pass the subject, it is necessary to pass the final exam with a grade equal to or higher than 5.

  • To pass the subject, the subject average must be equal to or higher than 5.

  • Regardless of the reason for failing (final exam or average grade), students who have failed the subject must take the retake exam and must pass it with a grade equal to or higher than 5.

 

Other Sittings (Subsequent Attempts)

 

Final Grade (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th): 100% Final or Retake Exam. A minimum grade of 5 is required to pass.

 

RETAKE EXAM

 

  • 30-40 multiple-choice questions (test).

  • May include images worked on in class, assignments, continuous assessment content, content worked on at home, etc.

 

Important Considerations

 

  • Plagiarism, copying, or any other form of academic fraud will result in a grade of zero in that assessment section.

  • If fraud is detected during an exam, it will lead to an immediate fail in the subject, with no possibility of recovery for that sitting.

  • The use of artificial intelligence tools in the completion of assessment activities is strictly forbidden, except in cases where their use has been expressly authorized by the responsible instructor as part of the activity.

  • The use or possession of electronic devices (mobile phones, smartwatches, headphones, etc.) during exams is strictly forbidden.

  • The mere possession of these devices, even if they are not in use, will be considered an attempt at fraud.

  • If detected in the first sitting, it will result in an automatic fail of the exam, and the student must present themselves in the second sitting (retake).

  • If detected in the second sitting (retake), it will result in the definitive failure of the subject, and the student will have to re-enroll the following academic year.

  • No changes will be accepted to the academic calendar, exam dates, or the evaluation system under any circumstances.

  • Exchange students (Erasmus or others) and repeat students will be subject to the same conditions of assessment, attendance, and regulations as the rest of the student body.

Bibliography and resources

Traumatología y Ortopedia para el grado de Medicina. Fernando Marco Martinez. Ed. Elsevier, 2015.

Manual de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología. Sociedad Española de Traumatología y Cirugía Ortopédica (SECOT). Ed. Panamericana, 2010.

Orthopedic Physical Assessment Atlas and Video: Selected Special Tests and Movements. Magee & Sueki. Elsevier, 2011.

Websites related to the different topics will be provided during the course to guarantee its update.

Evaluation period

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:
  • E1 19/01/2026 A14 12:00h
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