Porous bones - Osteoporosis definition - What is osteoporosis?

Feb 2014  Home › What is hypercalcemia › What is hypocalcemia? › What is osteoporosis - osteoporosis definition - porous bones

What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. The word osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones' and is derived from the Greek words 'ostoun' meaning bone and 'poros' meaning pore.

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It is an age-related disorder associated with progressive loss of bone mass and density. There is gradual decrease in the mineral density, deterioration of the structure into porous state and altering of the protein components in the skeletal system.

The osteoporosis disease is classified into primary type 1, primary type 2, and secondary type. Postmenopausal occurrences in women are referred as primary type 1. Primary type 2 occurs in men and women after 75 years of age. The secondary type can arise at any age and in any gender. Several predisposing factors can give rise to porous skeletal system. The consequence of all these forms is the increased risk of porous fractures which may be debilitating.

The bone density peaks by the age of 30 years and then there is a gradual loss throughout our lives. High bone density at the age of thirty years means less likelihood of developing the porous disease. Hence the density has to be built right from the childhood by taking balanced diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. Exercises, especially weight-bearing exercises will help in increasing the density.

Related posts: Nutritional deficiency <> Mineral deficiency <> Calcium deficiency

Malnutrition, estrogen deficiency in women, decrease in testosterone levels in men, consumption of alcohol, genetic predisposition, tobacco smoking and sedentary lifestyle are some of the predisposing factors that can cause osteoporosis disease. The signs and symptoms of osteoporosis disease may not be very apparent in many patients. There may dull chronic pain in the lower back while the bone is becoming porous. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is by x-rays and bone density tests.

elderly women affected by osteoporosis

Osteoporosis treatment and management is by changing the lifestyle. The risk of porous fractures due to osteoporosis disease can be reversed and reduced by taking diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercising regularly and taking precautions to prevent falls.

Web definitions

1.The wordnetweb.princeton.edu defines as "abnormal loss of bony tissue resulting in fragile porous bones attributable to a lack of calcium; most common in postmenopausal women."

2.The merriam-webster.com defines as "medical : a condition in which the bones become weak and break easily."

3. The medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com defines as "The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, they become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis."

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Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OsteoCutout.png
Image author: James Heilman, MD | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
What is osteoporosis disease - definition - porous bones.

Osteomalacia diagnosis - Soft bones

Home > Diagnosis of osteomalacia - Soft bones

The diagnosis of osteomalacia (soft bones) is by visual observations, laboratory tests, radiography and biopsy.

Diagnosis of osteomalacia (soft bones) by visual observation

Osteomalacia starts as pain in the lower back and thighs and spreads to legs, arms and ribs.

The affected person appears weak and has difficulty even in walking.

He may have waddling gait. He may have 'swayback' appearance.

He may complain of pain all over the body and especially in limbs. The pain increases in shocks and on pressure.

He has pain in the back, hips and the long limbs. He complains of muscle weakness.

He may have fractures without any fall or known reason.

Young adults may show slight bowing of long limbs.

The patient may have tetany, spasms, numbness in the limbs and abnormal heart beats.

All these observed signs help in the differentiating osteomalacia from other conditions.

Laboratory procedures

The serum calcium is lower than the required level (hypocalcemia).

Phosphorus serum levels will be low (hypophosphatemia).

Serum alkaline phosphate and PTH (parathyroid hormone) will be elevated than the normal level.

Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D will be low.

Urine calcium will be low.

Urine 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels will be low.

Radiography procedures for osteomalacia bones

Radiography of the affected skeletal areas show deformity.

Partial fractures are seen on the soft bones.

Radiographs of the affected limbs show pseudofractures of bones (Loser's zones or Milkman syndrome).

Protrusio acetabuli (the socket protruding into pelvis) condition may appear restricting the movement of hip joint.

In diagnosis, radiography further shows osteopenia of bones wherein the mineral density is lower than the normal.

Vertebral compression fractures may be present.

Biopsy for diagnosis of osteomalacia

Biopsy of the soft bones shows increased osteoid and lowered calcifying mineral.

Once the ailment shows up as osteomalacia in the diagnosis, the patient is given required treatments to bring him back to normalcy.

Related topics:
Osteomalacia (soft bones).
Causes.
Symptoms
Treatment.
Prevention.
Rickets in children.

Current topic:
Soft bones and diagnosis of osteomalacia.

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Osteomalacia symptoms - Soft bones

Home > Osteomalacia signs and symptoms

Common signs and symptoms of osteomalacia are bone pain, muscle pain and easy fractures of bones in the adults.

Osteomalacia affected patient shows signs and symptoms like widespread pain in the bones

The signs of osteomalacia may not be confused with arthritis pain which is the inflammation of the joints and the resultant pain.

The signs and symptoms are specific. Osteomalacia caused pain emanates from the skeletal tissue. This pain is of permanent character deep and nagging.

The pain emanates from back, hips, ribs and long bones. Pain is also caused by minor cracks (partial fractures).

Osteomalacia affected person shows signs and symptoms of weak muscles

With the pain in the bones the patients mobility decreases and the patient may also show signs of myalgia (muscle pain).

Low levels of calcium and phosphorus along with low levels of vitamin D affect muscle functions.

With reduced activity the muscle mass may decrease and muscle atrophy may set in. There can be partial or complete wasting away of the muscles.

Muscle weakness especially of the upper arms and thighs, decreases the quality of life and the sufferer experiences great difficulty in performing simple tasks like getting up from a chair or climbing a flight of stairs.

Osteomalacia affected person shows symptoms like fractures on trivial causes

Pathologic fractures may occur in osteomalacia affected person. The fractures occur during the normal routine activities.

The reason for this is that the bones have so badly demineralised that they are not able to perform normal routine functions.

Deformity in osteomalacia

The affected person may suffer from lordosis a deformed condition of the vertebrae.

There is curvature of the vertebral column in lower back giving 'swayback' appearance to the person. Deformities of the pelvis may also occur.

The gait of the patient is affected and he shows typical signs of waddling gait (myopathic gait).

The waddling is due to deformity of the pelvic girdle and also due to proximal muscles getting weak.

The osteomalacia patient sometimes may experience tetany. Uncontrolled muscle spasm and seizures are due to low serum levels of calcium.

Related topics:
Osteomalacia.
Causes.
Diagnosis.
Treatment.
Prevention.
Rickets in children.

Current topic:
Symptoms of osteomalacia - Soft bones.

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Osteomalacia causes - soft bones - adults - vitamin D deficiency

Home › Osteomalacia › Nutritional deficiency › Rickets in children › Soft bones

Among many factors, severe vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia resulting in soft bones by their hypomineralisation in adults.

Adult skeletal structures after attaining growth, due to many factors connected with vitamin D deficiency, lose the calcium and phosphorus in them during bones turnover and become soft. The causes of osteomalacia are numerous.

Insufficient exposure to sunlight is one of the prime causes of osteomalacia (soft bones)

People living in higher latitudes face shorter days, especially in winter. They are also compelled to be home bound due to adverse weather conditions and soft bones result. In darker skinned people the soft bones problem is compounded due to their reduced vitamin D synthesis ability. This is due to high melanin pigment deposits in their skin which cut off UV-B rays from reaching the vitamin D producing region of the skin and causes vitamin D deficiency and osteomalacia (soft bones).

Deficiency of vitamin D in diet is one of the causes of osteomalacia

The plant sources of vitamin D are very limited. Animal fats especially fish oils and fats are rich in vitamin D. Eggs and animal liver also contains vitamin D. Fortified milk and fortified cereal flours also can be good sources. Vegans who do not even drink milk are in the risk of getting osteomalacia and soft bones. Economically weaker sections of the people are prone to get affected by both calcium and vitamin D deficiency. This causes osteomalacia and soft bones.

Living in places continuously affected by fog and smog causes osteomalacia

Residents of the cities continuously covered by fog and smog may be affected or get into presymptomatic stage of this ailment and soft bones.

Medicine used in the treatment of epilepsy and seizures causes osteomalacia

Epileptics may suffer from soft bones. Epileptic seizures are prevented and controlled by phenobarbital and phenytoin. These drugs increase the hepatic metabolism. By this reaction the vitamin D is converted into inactive forms and the calcium absorption is affected leading to soft bones.

Orlistat (weight-loss drug) and cholestyramine (cholesterol-lowering drug) reduce absorption of fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D. Corticosteroids like prednisone may decrease calcium absorption and causes osteomalacia (soft bones) by affecting cholecalciferol metabolism.

Malnutrition during pregnancy causes osteomalacia

Pregnant women transfer lots of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus to the growing fetus. The vitamin D and calcium reserves in the pregnant woman's body are tapped to maintain uninterrupted supply to the growing fetus. If the supplies are not replenished by diet, supplements and sunlight exposure deficiency results and causes osteomalacia and soft bones.

Celiac disease causes osteomalacia

Celiac disease (coeliac disease) is a disorder of the small intestine which is autoimmune in nature with genetic predisposition. In this disease there is a reaction of the body to gluten protein present in wheat. There is inflammation of the small intestine and atrophy of the villi which are responsible for nutrient absorption.

Hence there no nutrient absorption and along with many deficiency induced ailments, severe deficiency of vitamin D also occurs and causes osteomalacia and soft bones. Certain types of cancers, hereditary disorders in the metabolism , renal diseases like renal tubular acidosis and disease of the liver can be the causes of osteomalacia and soft bones.

Osteomalacia - vitamin D deficiency - adults

Home > Osteomalacia - Vitamin D deficiency in adults

Osteomalacia is a condition in adults where in the bones get softened due to deficiency of vitamin D or the inability of body to absorb/utilise cholecalciferol.

The essential problem in this metabolic disease of adults is the non-availability of phosphorus and/or calcium for mineralisation of freshly formed osteoid usually in adults.

This disease in children is called rickets. The basic cause of this mineral insufficiency is the deficiency of vitamin D (cholecalciferol).

Unlike the severity of the symptoms in children this insufficiency in adults shows signs like body pains, muscle pains and soft fragile bony structures.

Osteomalacia is hypomineralization of the osteoid after the cessation of its growth.

In contrast, in rickets, hypomineralization of the growing bones takes place affecting growth plates.

Normal mineralisation depends on many interdependent factors, which supply sufficient phosphorus and calcium to the skeletal tissues.

By its action on the gastrointestinal tract, parathyroid glands, kidneys and the bones, vitamin D maintains a balance of calcium and phosphorus.

Hydroxylation of cholecalciferol is necessary for the maintenance of the above balance. Hydroxylation takes place in liver and kidneys.

Osteomalacia occurs when any of the above metabolic processes dysfunctions and soft bones result.

Though both osteomalacia and osteoporosis result in soft and fragile bones in adults the processes of the making of this condition are very different.

In osteoporosis, porosity of the skeletal tissue results due to faster breaking down of them than their reformation.

However in osteomalacia though the two activities are balanced, the bones which are formed do not get mineralised to become hard and dense.

There are a number of causes for the occurrence of osteomalacia, the most important being the deficiency of cholecalciferol in adults.

The signs of osteomalacia are general weakness, myalgia, lack of appetite, loss of weight and fragile and soft bones.

This malady of deficiency is diagnosed with blood tests, biopsy and radiography.

Osteomalacia is treated by giving large doses of vitamin D to replenish it in adults.

Related topics:
Causes of the ailment in adults.
Osteomalacia symptoms.
Diagnosis.
Treatment.
Prevention of vitamin deficiency in adults.
Rickets in children.

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Calcium - Back bone of health

Calcium is the most neglected, but the most important in nutrition for health. It occurs naturally in abundant quantities and in most living organisms, next to oxygen and hydrogen the most abundant element is calcium.
Most cellular processes require ionic calcium for cytoplasm functions and ion exchange.
It is required for the body for building and maintaining strong teeth and bones.
It is required for proper transmission of electric signals to brain.
Calcium is required at a constant level in body tissues and fluids for normal biological functions.
Bones which constitute the major mass of our body require continuous supply of the mineral for growth and replenish the mineral lost in various biological processes.
There is continuous skeletal absorption and deposition process and it varies with age and gender.
The loss of this mineral from bones leads to osteoporosis resulting in soft and brittle skeleton.
In such conditions fractures can occur.
Know more about osteoporosis, rickets, calcium absorption mechanism, fractures caused by its deficiency and calcium requirement in menopause in the coming posts.

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Vanadium

In nutrition, the importance of the mineral vanadium is being unraveled.
As one of the trace minerals, it is present in human body in low levels particularly in soft organs and bone.
Though many benefits are attributed to vanadium in research it is not conclusively proved.
Parsley, shell fish, black pepper and mushrooms are good food sources for this mineral.
However it is present in almost all food sources in some quantities.
There are no marked deficiency symptoms in human beings.
It is believed to accumulate in bones, liver and kidney, in high consumption.
It is believed that vanadium helps in regulating and lowering blood sugar levels.
It found that this mineral in the form of vanadyl sulphate increases the muscle hardness, strength and energy by increasing protein synthesis in human body.
Vanadium is believed to have blood thinning properties and restrain is advised when using anticoagulation drugs.
When oral medicine or insulin is being used to lower glucose levels, the use of this mineral is to be closely monitored or avoided.
Vanadium in excess is found to cause green tongue and upset the sugar levels and subsequent consequences of sudden blood sugar drop may take place.

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Phosphorous for bones and teeth

Phosphorous is one of the very essential minerals in nutrition.
On an average 900 gms of phosphorous is present in human body and more than 80% in teeth and bones. The rest of the mineral is present inside the body cells.
Very small quantity is present in circulation.
Many co-enzymes and enzymes contain phosphorous.
Cell membranes are made up of proteins and phospholipids.
DNA and RNA contain this mineral in the nucleic acids.
Inside cells glucose undergoes phosphorylation for metabolism and release of energy.
Phosphorous is easily absorbed in the intestine.
Excess this mineral is excreted as phosphate ion in urine.
Phosphorous is available in most of the natural foods, both of plant and animal origin.
Lowered levels of this mineral are encountered in malnutrition and impaired absorption.
This disorder is called hypophosphatemia with symptoms like impaired function of muscles and nerves, bone loss, poor appetite and weakness.
Phosphate absorption can decrease, if antacids containing aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate and anticonvulsants are excessively used.
In the cases of renal insufficiency or failure increased levels of this mineral are encountered.
Excess of serum levels of this mineral can affect calcium balance and vitamin D activity.
Excess phosphorous can also cause soft tissue calcification and diarrhea.

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Osteoporosis is the result of calcium deficiency

In health care,proper nutrition for the health of our bones and our skeletal system is vital.
Bone is a dynamic living tissue made up of different types of cells.
Bonetissue forming cells are called osteoblasts.
Bone reabsorbing cells are called osteoclasts.
Both the forming and reabsorbing functions go on in healthy person with tilt towards either of these functions depending upon the age and gender of the person.
When the forming activity is impaired especially in children malformations occur and this can lead to a debilitating disease called rickets.
This can be due to many reasons, the important reason being insufficient intake of calcium or vitamin D or both.
Lack of balance in the intake of essential minerals can also lead to osteoporosis.
When the reabsorbing is fast and the growth activity is reduced osteoporosis occurs.
Reduction in bone mineral density occurs in osteoporosis leading to the risk of fracture.
Osteoporosis occurs in women especially after menopause due to hormone imbalance and in both the sexes due to intake of certain steroids, poor intake of the mineral and vitamin D in the childhood.
Osteoporosis can be corrected to some extent by supplement of the mineral and vitamin D.
Visit my next post to know more about calcium absorption and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

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