What Is Bone Loss?
- Introduction
- What Is Bone Made Of?
- What Causes Bone Loss?
- How Can Bone Loss Be Prevented?
- How Is Bone Loss Detected?
- For More Information
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
Introduction
Although bones may seem like hard and lifeless structures, bones are living tissues that are like muscle. Bones respond to exercise and a healthy diet by becoming stronger. Bones make up our skeletons and provide structure and support for our bodies. However, bones are more than that; they also act like a storehouse for minerals that our bodies need, such as calcium. During a person's lifetime, the body constantly breaks down old bone (through a process called resorption) and builds up new bone. Any time old bone is broken down faster than new bone is made, net bone loss occurs. Bone loss can lead to low bone density (osteopenia), weakness of the bone, and eventually osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis (or porous bone) is a disease in which bones become weak and fragile. Porous bones are more likely to break. Osteoporosis is a serious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Without prevention or treatment, osteoporosis can progress without pain or symptoms until a bone breaks (fracture). Fractures commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of more than 1.5 million fractures annually (300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures in other areas). The estimated national cost (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporosis and related injuries is $14 billion each year in the United States.
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Bone Loss
Paget's Disease Overview
Paget's disease of the bone is the second most common bone disorder in elderly patients. (Osteoporosis is the most common.) Paget's disease is a disorder that affects the normal remodeling process of bone. In normal bone, the bone constantly remodels. In the remodeling process, old bone is removed and new bone is formed. In patients with Paget's disease, this process is altered. These patients have an excessive amount of bone resorption (removal) followed by an even more excessive amount of new bone formation. Unfortunately, this increased rate of bone remodeling leads to new bone that is not as strong as normal bone. This abnormal bone is weaker, has more blood vessels, and is larger in size than normal bone. While most cases do not cause symptoms, some patients may develop pain, fractures, or even malignant transformation into Read the Paget Disease article »
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Osteoporosis (Secondary) »
Osteoporosis, a chronic progressive disease, is the most common metabolic bone disease in the United States.
