Metabolic bone disease
Encyclopedia
Metabolic bone disease is an umbrella term referring to abnormalities of bones caused by a broad spectrum of disorders.
Most commonly these disorders are caused by abnormalities of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or vitamin D leading to dramatic clinical disorders that are commonly reversible once the underlying defect has been treated. These disorders are to be differentiated from a larger group of genetic bone disorders where there is a defect in a specific signaling system or cell type that causes the bone disorder. There may be overlap. For example, genetic
or hereditary hypophosphatemia may cause the metabolic bone disorder osteomalacia
. Although there is currently no treatment for the genetic condition, replacement of phosphate
often corrects or improves the metabolic bone disorder.
Osteoporosis is due to causal factors like atrophy of disuse and gonadal deficiency. Hence osteoporosis is common in post menopausal women and in men above 50 yrs. Hypercorticism may also be causal factor- osteoporosis may be seen as a feature of Cushing's syndrome.
Most commonly these disorders are caused by abnormalities of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium or vitamin D leading to dramatic clinical disorders that are commonly reversible once the underlying defect has been treated. These disorders are to be differentiated from a larger group of genetic bone disorders where there is a defect in a specific signaling system or cell type that causes the bone disorder. There may be overlap. For example, genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
or hereditary hypophosphatemia may cause the metabolic bone disorder osteomalacia
Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones caused by defective bone mineralization secondary to inadequate amounts of available phosphorus and calcium, or because of overactive resorption of calcium from the bone as a result of hyperparathyroidism...
. Although there is currently no treatment for the genetic condition, replacement of phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
often corrects or improves the metabolic bone disorder.
Conditions considered to be metabolic bone disorders
- osteoporosis
- Paget's disease of bone
- osteomalacia (adults) & rickets (children)
- osteitis fibrosa cystica
Osteoporosis is due to causal factors like atrophy of disuse and gonadal deficiency. Hence osteoporosis is common in post menopausal women and in men above 50 yrs. Hypercorticism may also be causal factor- osteoporosis may be seen as a feature of Cushing's syndrome.