This infection is one of the most common causes of death worldwide
Bones provide support and allow the body to stand up straight, bend, and twist. Indeed, they literally hold us up and keep us from collapsing to the ground. Unfortunately, there are a lot of medical disorders out there that directly or indirectly affect the health of our skeleton. And even the strongest bones fall foul of any number of diseases that serve to weaken and degrade bone structure. So, what should we be aware of, and how can we maintain the health and integrity of our own unique chassis?
Click on and go through the bare bones to find out.
Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. Its main symptoms are joint pain and stiffness.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage that lines your joints is worn down or damaged and your bones rub together when you use that joint. Osteoarthritis affects 15% of the global population over the age of 30, according to The Lancet. Furthermore, by 2050, nearly one billion people are projected to have the condition.
Rickets is a condition that affects bone development in children. It's defined by the softening and weakening of bones, usually because of an extreme and prolonged vitamin D deficiency.
Fibrous dysplasia is a benign (noncancerous) bone condition in which abnormal fibrous tissue develops in place of normal bone. Pictured is fibrous dysplasia of the right zygomatic bone (the bone that forms the prominent part of the cheek and the outer side of the eye socket).
Osteopetrosis is a bone disease that makes bone tissue abnormally compact and dense and also prone to breakage and to skeletal abnormalities.
Gout is a common and complex form of inflammatory arthritis that can affect anyone. It's caused by a buildup of a substance called uric acid in the blood. If you produce too much uric acid or your kidneys don't filter enough out, it can accumulate and cause tiny sharp crystals to form in and around joints. Particularly affected are joints in the toes, especially the big toe.
If you have diabetes, you're at increased risk of various bone and joint disorders, among many other medical conditions brought on when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
As its name suggests, bone cancer begins in the bones. This is what's known as primary bone cancer, which actually is rare.
More common is secondary (metastatic) bone cancer, where a cancer that started elsewhere in the body spreads to the bones.
An example is multiple myeloma, a cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The cancer often affects several areas of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis, and ribs.
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones. It develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the quality or structure of bone changes.
Osteomyelitis is an infection in a bone. It's caused by bacteria or fungi and results in painful swelling of bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones.
Hyperparathyroidism is where the parathyroid glands (in the neck, near the thyroid gland) produce too much parathyroid hormone. This, in turn, leads to high calcium levels and low phosphorus levels in your blood. Too much calcium has been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis and broken bones by increasing the rate of bone turnover (the cycle of breakdown and renewal of bone).
Paget's disease of bone is a chronic disorder that causes bones to grow larger and become weaker than normal. Over time, enlarged or misshapen bones can stress nearby joints, leading to osteoarthritis in those joints.
A bone fracture happens when something hits your bone with enough force not only to damage it, but to break it.
The break disturbs the structure and strength of the bone, and leads to pain, loss of function, and sometimes bleeding and injury around the site.
Renal osteodystrophy is a bone disease that occurs in adults and children with chronic kidney disease. It's one of the main complications of end-stage renal disorders, and is characterized by bone mineralization deficiency due to electrolyte and endocrine abnormalities.
Nail patella syndrome is a genetic condition that can cause problems with the nails, bones (especially the knee caps, or patellae), and kidneys. Also called Fong disease, the disorder is quite rare.
Another genetic or heritable bone disease is osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as brittle bone disease. It's a far more common condition in which bones fracture easily, often with no obvious cause or minimal injury.
Osteonecrosis, also known as avascular necrosis, happens when the blood supply to part of a bone is disrupted, depriving bone tissue of essential nutrients and oxygen. If not treated, the bone deteriorates, leading to severe arthritis.
Scoliosis is where the spine twists and curves to the side. While affecting people of all ages, it often starts in children aged 10 to 15. Pictured is a full spine x-ray showing a patient with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis before and after deformity correction surgery.
Osteomalacia, or soft bone disease, is exactly that—a medical condition where bones become soft and weak due to the inadequate mineralization of bone tissue. This condition results from a deficiency in vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
Cockayne syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by an abnormally small head size (microcephaly), short stature, and delayed development. It's a condition stemming from a DNA repair defect, and usually results in death within the first or second decade of life.
While not all types of bone conditions can be cured, many can be effectively managed with the right treatment plan. Bone remodelling, however, is a natural process whereby old, brittle bone tissue is removed or resorbed and gets replaced by new bone. It protects both the structural integrity of the skeletal system and metabolically contributes to the body's balance of calcium and phosphorus.
This resorption of old or damaged bone, followed by the deposition of new bone material, is a lifelong process, so much so, in fact, that most of the adult skeleton is replaced about every 10 years.
There are many ways to maintain healthy bones. Most obviously is to make sure you're getting enough vitamin D. A deficiency in this vital compound is the cause of many bone-related diseases.
Equally important is a sufficient intake of calcium. Calcium phosphate hardens and strengthens bone. Problem is, our bodies cannot make calcium. Instead, it's sourced through things like dairy products, leafy greens, sardines, beans, and lentils.
And it goes without saying that adopting a healthy lifestyle by eating properly, exercising regularly, reducing alcohol intake, and not smoking is great for all-around fitness. And your bones will be better for it!
Sources: (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) (Johns Hopkins Medicine) (NIH) (NHS) (ScienceDirect) (Healthline)
Diseases that affect the bones
What medical disorders can degrade our skeleton?
HEALTH Human body
Bones provide support and allow the body to stand up straight, bend, and twist. Indeed, they literally hold us up and keep us from collapsing to the ground. Unfortunately, there are a lot of medical disorders out there that directly or indirectly affect the health of our skeleton. And even the strongest bones fall foul of any number of diseases that serve to weaken and degrade bone structure. So, what should we be aware of, and how can we maintain the health and integrity of our own unique chassis?
Click on and go through the bare bones to find out.