Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia can be translated into English as softening of the bones. It’s primarily caused by severe vitamin D deficiency. If you have vitamin D deficiency as a young child, before your bones are matured, that can lead to a condition called rickets, where the bones become deformed and bowed and your your height is attenuated or decreased.
Causes of Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia is, in essence, a failure of calcification or calcium deposition into newly-formed bone. Our bones turn over continuously, and about every eight years we’ve actually remodeled our bone skeleton. If a patient develops severe vitamin D deficiency, this process is damaged and bones can be resorbed. The calcium is taken out of them, and you can’t reform proper bones. Osteomalacia is different from osteoporosis, which leads to bone thinning.
One of the reasons that we’re more vitamin D deficient in Western society relates to our efforts to prevent skin cancer. We’ve been successful in encouraging the public to use more skin block, which has had some impact on some of the types of skin cancer. In rare cases, osteomalacia is caused by a genetic abnormality, certain surgeries or conditions such as celiac disease.
Symptoms & Treatment of Osteomalacia
When osteomalacia is in its early stages, patients may not have any symptoms, although the condition may be apparent on an X-ray, or with blood and urine tests or a bone biopsy. As the disease progresses, patients can develop:
• Dull, aching pain in the lower back, hips, pelvis, legs and ribs that worsens with weight-bearing or at night
• Decreased muscle tone
• Leg weakness
• Fractures, especially in the legs, ribs and spine
In most cases, taking vitamin D and/or calcium supplements can effectively treat osteomalacia, as they help strengthen the bones. It’s also important to eat foods that are high in vitamin D and calcium, such as low-fat dairy products, fatty fish and nuts and legumes. If osteomalacia is a result of another condition, treating the disease can reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on osteomalacia.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on orthopedics.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
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If you have vitamin D deficiency as a young child, before your bones are matured, that can lead to a condition called rickets, where the bones become deformed and bowed and your your height is attenuated or decreased.
-
In rare cases, osteomalacia is caused by a genetic abnormality, certain surgeries or conditions such as celiac disease.
-
When osteomalacia is in its early stages, patients may not have any symptoms, although the condition may be apparent on an X-ray, or with blood and urine tests or a bone biopsy.
-
As the disease progresses, patients can develop dull, aching pain in the lower back, hips, pelvis, legs and ribs that worsens with weight-bearing or at night; decreased muscle tone; leg weakness; and fractures, especially in the legs, ribs and spine.
-
In most cases, taking vitamin D and/or calcium supplements can effectively treat osteomalacia, as they help strengthen the bones. It’s also important to eat foods that are high in vitamin D and calcium, such as low-fat dairy products, fatty fish and nuts and legumes.
Osteomalacia
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Information - Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia can be translated into English as softening of the bones. It’s primarily caused by severe vitamin D deficiency. If you have vitamin D deficiency as a young child, before your bones are matured, that can lead to a condition called rickets, where the bones become deformed and bowed and your your height is attenuated or decreased.
Causes of Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia is, in essence, a failure of calcification or calcium deposition into newly-formed bone. Our bones turn over continuously, and about every eight years we’ve actually remodeled our bone skeleton. If a patient develops severe vitamin D deficiency, this process is damaged and bones can be resorbed. The calcium is taken out of them, and you can’t reform proper bones. Osteomalacia is different from osteoporosis, which leads to bone thinning.
One of the reasons that we’re more vitamin D deficient in Western society relates to our efforts to prevent skin cancer. We’ve been successful in encouraging the public to use more skin block, which has had some impact on some of the types of skin cancer. In rare cases, osteomalacia is caused by a genetic abnormality, certain surgeries or conditions such as celiac disease.
Symptoms & Treatment of Osteomalacia
When osteomalacia is in its early stages, patients may not have any symptoms, although the condition may be apparent on an X-ray, or with blood and urine tests or a bone biopsy. As the disease progresses, patients can develop:
• Dull, aching pain in the lower back, hips, pelvis, legs and ribs that worsens with weight-bearing or at night
• Decreased muscle tone
• Leg weakness
• Fractures, especially in the legs, ribs and spine
In most cases, taking vitamin D and/or calcium supplements can effectively treat osteomalacia, as they help strengthen the bones. It’s also important to eat foods that are high in vitamin D and calcium, such as low-fat dairy products, fatty fish and nuts and legumes. If osteomalacia is a result of another condition, treating the disease can reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you'd like more information on osteomalacia.
Visit HealthChoicesFirst.com for more videos and resources on orthopedics.
Print this Action Plan and check off items that you want to discuss with your healthcare provider
-
If you have vitamin D deficiency as a young child, before your bones are matured, that can lead to a condition called rickets, where the bones become deformed and bowed and your your height is attenuated or decreased.
-
In rare cases, osteomalacia is caused by a genetic abnormality, certain surgeries or conditions such as celiac disease.
-
When osteomalacia is in its early stages, patients may not have any symptoms, although the condition may be apparent on an X-ray, or with blood and urine tests or a bone biopsy.
-
As the disease progresses, patients can develop dull, aching pain in the lower back, hips, pelvis, legs and ribs that worsens with weight-bearing or at night; decreased muscle tone; leg weakness; and fractures, especially in the legs, ribs and spine.
-
In most cases, taking vitamin D and/or calcium supplements can effectively treat osteomalacia, as they help strengthen the bones. It’s also important to eat foods that are high in vitamin D and calcium, such as low-fat dairy products, fatty fish and nuts and legumes.
