This edition is a comprehensive presentation of the scientific basis of rehabilitation medicine, that medical specialty concerned with the management of patients with impairments of functions due to disease or trauma. Knowledge of the underlying physiology will help practitioners understand how physical losses affect the overall function of the patient and how the human body adapts to and compensates for the stress produced by the original injury. Over 40 contributors provide thorough coverage of their specialties in language easily understandable to physicians and therapists.