BONE SYSTEM DISEASES AND PREVENTION - MEDICINE - 2025

The diseases of the bone system best known and treated by medicine are osteoporosis, Paget's disease, acromegaly, achondroplasia, osteoarthritis, fibrous dysplasia, among others.

The skeletal system is the set of bones, cartilage and joints that make up the skeleton, and allow the body to support itself, protect organs and move. This can be internal, as in mammals, or external, as in the case of arthropods.

Bones are made up of a type of cell called osteocytes, which are joined together by the joints, and between them are cartilage that prevents friction between one bone and another.

The human skeleton is made up of a total of 206 bones, which have been growing and developing since childhood. Calcium is the fortifying element of bones and it is obtained from foods such as milk and derivatives, eggs and some vegetables.

The human body stores calcium deposits during growth, but as we age, calcium needs to be replenished to maintain healthy bones.

This deficiency, as well as the lack of adequate exercise, can give rise to different diseases that affect the bone system. These diseases particularly affect the mobility of the body, and therefore the quality of life of the patient. Here are some of them.

18 main diseases that the bone system can suffer

1- Osteoporosis

X-ray of the pelvis of a patient with osteopetrosis, adult-onset form (Albers-Schonberg disease). Source: Konstantinos C Soultanis1 email, Alexandros H Payatakes2,3 email, Vasilios T Chouliaras2 email, Georgios C Mandellos2 email, Nikolaos E Pyrovolou1 email, Fani M Pliarchopoulou4 email and Panayotis N Soucacos CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org /licenses/by-sa/2.0)

It is a disease that affects the density of the bones, deteriorating their micro architecture, making them more fragile and prone to fracture with any blow or effort.

It is caused by the decrease of the tissue that forms the bone, or also by the loss of the mineral salts that constitute it. The patient does not know that he suffers it until a fracture occurs and is diagnosed. The density of the bones can be measured by the bone densitometry procedure.

The causes of this disease are, in women, the decrease in the production of estrogens, as well as progesterone, when entering menopause.

Other triggers can be poor nutrition, lack of calcium and vitamin D in the diet, sedentary life, use of corticosteroid drugs, consumption of tobacco and alcohol. On the contrary, factors that help in prevention are: practice of physical exercises and consumption of foods rich in calcium.

2- Paget's disease

It is an asymptomatic disease that consists of the accelerated growth of the bone regeneration process. The bones are constantly regenerating, but when suffering from this pathology, they do so in a faster way than normal.

As a consequence, regenerated bone is weaker and less rigid, making it prone to fracture or bending. Its causes are not fully known and it is speculated that they affect genetic factors, as well as the action of some type of virus.

This disease can affect a specific area or the entire skeleton. Depending on the affected area, it can present various symptoms, namely:

1. Pelvis: Pain in the hips.
2. Skull: Headaches and hearing loss.
3. Spine: Numbness or tingling and pain in the extremities.
4. Legs: Bowed legs, which will also cause osteoarthritis.

3- Osteoarthritis

Heberden's osteoarthritis activated of the index finger on the right. Source: Drahreg01 CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

It is a type of arthritis that affects the cartilage, which is in charge of preventing friction between the bones of the joints, covering them. As a consequence, there is a lot of pain in them.

Additionally, rubbing can cause bone fragmentation, the bits of which can become embedded in the cartilage, thus increasing pain.

Joints swell and bone spurs can develop, resulting in deformities. The movement of the person is limited. Unlike arthritis, osteoarthritis only affects the joints and not other organs in the body.

Among the causes of this disease are being overweight, aging, joint injuries, defects in the joint in its formation or genetic and wear caused by sports or some physical activity.

4- Osteopetrosis

Consequence of osteoporosis in the human body. Source: BruceBlaus CC "Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014". WikiJournal of Medicine BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

It is a fairly rare genetic disease that consists of an increase in bone density, making bones fragile and preventing their normal growth.

5- Osteogenesis imperfecta

It is a genetic disorder that causes weak bones, making them more brittle and prone to breaking, sometimes for no apparent reason. This also causes very weak muscles, brittle teeth, and hair loss.

It originates because the affectation to the genes causes that collagen is not produced, a protein that hardens the bones.

6- Acromegaly

Facial appearance of a patient with acromegaly Source: Philippe Chanson and Sylvie Salenave CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

It is a disease caused by an increase in the secretion of growth hormone, coming from the pituitary gland.

As a result, the limbs become larger, and in some cases the internal organs, which can lead to death. Unlike gigantism, which produces exaggerated growth at puberty, this disease occurs in adults.

7- Achondroplasia

Source: user Sakibomb222 CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

It is a genetic disorder of DNA that produces dwarfism. The person grows in her spine, but suffers from shortening of the limbs, so her body ceases to be harmonious.

8- Syringomyelia

Magnetic resonance imaging showing a syrinx located at C6-C7 in the cervical spine. Source: user Cyborg Ninja. Public Domain File

It is the disorder produced by a cyst within the spinal cord, which destroys its center by expanding, producing pain, weakness and stiffness in the back and extremities; headaches, insensitivity to temperature, or a combination of all of the above.

9- Scoliosis

Illustration of a severe case of S-shaped scoliosis. Source: Hermann Braus. Public Domain File

It is the lateral deviation of the spine that by itself does not cause symptoms, but over time, causes wear on the vertebrae and consequently, pain. It is one of the most common spinal diseases.

10- Lordosis

Vertebral column with spinal cord.

It is the deviation of the spine that produces a hump.

11- Perthes disease

X-ray image of Perthes disease. Source: J. Lengerke. Public domain file

It is a disease that affects the bones of the knees of children. The femoral bone deteriorates due to lack of blood supply, causing pain and inability to walk.

12- Fibrous dysplasia

Fibrous dysplasia in yellow. Source: user MBq. Public domain file

It is an excessive growth and swelling of the bones due to an abnormal growth of the cells. There are different types of dysplasia depending on the area they affect. The most common are the skull, pelvis, shins, thighs, and arms.

13- Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis in the first toe. Source. James Heilman, MD CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

It is a bacterial infection that directly affects the bones. It must be treated with antibiotics and surgery to remove the affected parts.

14- Bunion

A bunion is the enlargement of the joint of the big toe, produced by the displacement of the same or the tissue that forms it.

A painful bulge is created as a consequence, increased because a lot of force is applied there when walking. The joint stiffens, making walking or wearing shoes difficult or impossible. They appear after years of efforts in the area and are caused by walking defects, heredity or other reasons.

15- Cancer

Cancer in the bones is not common. Depending on the type of cancer, it can affect both children and adults, manifesting in the extremities. Other types of cancer that have metastasized to the bones are not considered bone cancer.

16- Osteomalacia and rickets

It is the condition caused by a delay in the deposit of calcium phosphate in the growing bones, thus allowing deformations in the skeleton, especially bow legs in the case of children.

In adults it is known as osteomalacia, and since the bones are no longer growing, deformities do not occur, but weakness does occur, which leads to bone fractures, especially those that bear more weight such as the pelvis or the of the legs.

Even when the bone is not fractured, those with these diseases can suffer from muscle pain and weakness.

An adequate diet that includes vitamin D can prevent this disease, which can be caused by hereditary factors, as well as low sun exposure (mostly in countries close to the polar circle), since the fixation of vitamin D depends on sun exposure.

17- Renal osteodystrophy

It is a condition caused by the stimulation of the metabolism of the bones, produced by a hormonal increase in the thyroid and a delay in the mineralization of the bones. This is a consequence of some chronic kidney disease. All of this leads to defects in bone formation.

18- Oral diseases

The bones in the mouth comprise the spongy bones and the dense bones, and, like the rest of the body, they are subject to the process of formation and resorption throughout life.

When the degeneration process exceeds the formation process, it can cause a loss in the support of the teeth, or a decrease in space in those places where teeth have been lost.

Prevention

To have better health and avoid or prevent diseases of the skeletal system, it is convenient to have a good diet.

The diet should contain sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D. For good absorption of vitamin D, moderate exposure to the sun is necessary, preferably in the morning or in the afternoon, to avoid damage to the skin.

The diet should be rich in protein, but vegetable, as excess animal protein could accelerate cases of osteoporosis.

Foods that are not recommended are those that demineralize or remove minerals from the bones. Among them we have salty foods, pre-cooked, fried, with white sugar, tobacco and alcohol. Vegetables with oxalate should be eaten separately from foods rich in calcium, as well as those that contain fiber.

References

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4. Definition of Bone System. Recovered from: definicion.de.
5. Skeletal Diseases. Recovered from: esqueletoysusenfermedades.blogspot.com.
6. Lee, A. (2010). Sunday Express: How old are your bones? Recovered from: express.co.uk.
7. Recovered from: www.mayoclnic.org.
8. Raef, H. et al (2011). National Center for Biotechnology Information: Updated Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis: A Local Perspective. Recovered from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
9. Bone system, bone diseases. Recovered from: profesorenlinea.cl.
10. Tolar, J. et al (2004). The New Englad Journal of Medicine: Osteopetrosis. Recovered from: nejm.org.
11. What is osteoarthritis? Recovered from: arthritisresearchuk.org.