Muscle atrophy with fatty replacement of the ankle

Muscle atrophy is when the muscle either partially or completely wastes/decreases in mass.

It can be associated with restricted movement/lack of physical activity or as the result of other conditions or diseases affecting the person.

Muscle atrophy can be divided into three different categories: physiologic, pathologic, and neurogenic.

Physiologic is when the muscle is not being used enough.

This can occur when a person is confined to a bed, has broken a limb, in places where there is no gravity or have a lifestyle with decreased activity levels.

Pathologic is when the a person is suffering from other conditions such as aging, starvation, cancer, HIV, or Cushing disease.

Neurogenic atrophy can be the result of injury or a disease that affects the nerves stimulating the muscles.

Examples of these are: ALS, carpal tunnel syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome, toxins or alcohol, polio or a spinal cord injury.