Osteomalacia

The word osteomalacia means “soft bones.” The condition keeps your bones from mineralizing, or hardening, as they should. That makes them weak and more likely to bend and break. Only adults have it. When the same thing happens in children, it’s called It’s not the same as osteoporosis. Both can cause bones to break. But while osteomalacia is a problem with bones not hardening, osteoporosis is the weakening of the bone. Causes Your bones rely on certain minerals to grow strong and stay solid. If your body isn’t getting enough of them, you can get osteomalacia. There are different reasons it can happen. The main ones are: You’re not taking in enough Your body has a hard time absorbing Some It’s rare, but some people have a genetic condition that causes osteomalacia. Symptoms If you have soft bones, you may have symptoms, including: • Easily broken bones • Feeling • Pain • Stiffness • Trouble getting up from sitting or walking up stairs • Weak muscles in your arms and thighs People with osteomalacia may walk with a waddling, side-to-side stride. Diagnosis Your doctor probably will recommend: • Blood tests to measure the level of vitamin D in your body • X-rays to look at your bone structure • Bone mineral density scans to test the amount of It doesn’t happen often, but your doctor may want to do a bone Treatment If osteomalacia comes from not getting enough vitamin D, you can treat it by getting more of it in your diet through certain foods and supplements. Foods with vitamin...

Healthlineonly shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: • Evaluate ingredients and composition:Do they have the potential to cause harm? • Fact-check all health claims:Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence? • Assess the brand:Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices? We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. A lack of Vitamin D also helps maintain calcium and phosphate levels to help your bones form properly. It’s made within the skin from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays in Your body can’t process the calcium your bones need to stay strong if you have low levels of vitamin D. A vitamin D deficiency can result from: • a problem with your diet • a lack of sun exposure • an issue with your intestines You may also have a problem absorbing vitamin D or breaking down food to release it if you’ve had surgery to remove parts of your stomach or small intestine. Certain conditions can interfere with the absorption of vitamin D: • • Certain types of cancer can interfere with vitamin D processing. • A diet that doesn’t include phosphates can cause phosphate depletion, which can also lead to osteomalacia. Drugs for treating There are a few symptoms of osteomalacia. The most common is bones that fracture easily. An...

Osteomalacia is also known as bone softening. It is a condition in which new bone does not harden the way it should after forming. This condition can affect people of all ages because everyone’s bones are constantly going through a process called Bone turnover is when the body reabsorbs the old tissue and forms new bone tissue, starting with the softer inner layer that comprises In another process called In this article, we explore the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and complications of osteomalacia. We also discuss the outlook for people with this condition. Share on Pinterest Image credit: Leslie Gamache, Mark R. Burge, 2014. One of the key differences between osteomalacia and Rickets only develops in children whose bones are still growing, whereas osteomalacia can develop in people of all ages. Rickets can cause deformed bones in children and limit their growth, while deformities usually only occur in severe cases of osteomalacia. With osteomalacia, the problem is not bone loss. Instead, people with this condition have soft bones due to incomplete mineralization, which is part of the process of bone formation. The most common cause of the incomplete mineralization that leads to osteomalacia is low levels of • lack of phosphorus • • kidney problems • liver disorders • genetic factors When a person has low levels of vitamin D, it may be because they are not taking in enough of this nutrient, or their body is not able to absorb it. Reasons why people do not take i...

Overview What is osteomalacia? Osteomalacia means "soft bones." Osteomalacia is a disease that weakens bones and can cause them to break more easily. It is a disorder of decreased mineralization, which results in bone breaking down faster than it can re-form. It is a condition that occurs in adults. In children, inadequate concentrations of vitamin D may cause rickets. Diagnosis and Tests How is osteomalacia diagnosed? There are various tests that can be performed to determine if someone has osteomalacia. • The most important indicator is • X-rays may be taken to see if there is any evidence of osteomalacia. • A Rarely, the doctor may perform a bone biopsy, in which a sample of bone tissue is taken and examined. Management and Treatment How is osteomalacia treated? Patients who have osteomalacia can take vitamin D, calcium or phosphate supplements, depending on the individual case. For instance, people with intestinal malabsorption (the intestines cannot absorb nutrients or vitamins properly) may need to take larger quantities of vitamin D and calcium. Other treatments to relieve or correct osteomalacia symptoms may include: • Wearing braces to reduce or prevent bone irregularities • Surgery to correct bone deformities (in severe cases) • Adequate exposure to sunlight • Lorenzo JA, Canalis E, Raisz LG. Metabolic bone disease. In: Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, Kronenberg HM, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap...

Overview What is osteomalacia? Osteomalacia means "soft bones." Osteomalacia is a disease that weakens bones and can cause them to break more easily. It is a disorder of decreased mineralization, which results in bone breaking down faster than it can re-form. It is a condition that occurs in adults. In children, inadequate concentrations of vitamin D may cause rickets. Diagnosis and Tests How is osteomalacia diagnosed? There are various tests that can be performed to determine if someone has osteomalacia. • The most important indicator is • X-rays may be taken to see if there is any evidence of osteomalacia. • A Rarely, the doctor may perform a bone biopsy, in which a sample of bone tissue is taken and examined. Management and Treatment How is osteomalacia treated? Patients who have osteomalacia can take vitamin D, calcium or phosphate supplements, depending on the individual case. For instance, people with intestinal malabsorption (the intestines cannot absorb nutrients or vitamins properly) may need to take larger quantities of vitamin D and calcium. Other treatments to relieve or correct osteomalacia symptoms may include: • Wearing braces to reduce or prevent bone irregularities • Surgery to correct bone deformities (in severe cases) • Adequate exposure to sunlight • Lorenzo JA, Canalis E, Raisz LG. Metabolic bone disease. In: Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, Kronenberg HM, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap...

Osteomalacia is also known as bone softening. It is a condition in which new bone does not harden the way it should after forming. This condition can affect people of all ages because everyone’s bones are constantly going through a process called Bone turnover is when the body reabsorbs the old tissue and forms new bone tissue, starting with the softer inner layer that comprises In another process called In this article, we explore the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and complications of osteomalacia. We also discuss the outlook for people with this condition. Share on Pinterest Image credit: Leslie Gamache, Mark R. Burge, 2014. One of the key differences between osteomalacia and Rickets only develops in children whose bones are still growing, whereas osteomalacia can develop in people of all ages. Rickets can cause deformed bones in children and limit their growth, while deformities usually only occur in severe cases of osteomalacia. With osteomalacia, the problem is not bone loss. Instead, people with this condition have soft bones due to incomplete mineralization, which is part of the process of bone formation. The most common cause of the incomplete mineralization that leads to osteomalacia is low levels of • lack of phosphorus • • kidney problems • liver disorders • genetic factors When a person has low levels of vitamin D, it may be because they are not taking in enough of this nutrient, or their body is not able to absorb it. Reasons why people do not take i...

Healthlineonly shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: • Evaluate ingredients and composition:Do they have the potential to cause harm? • Fact-check all health claims:Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence? • Assess the brand:Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices? We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. A lack of Vitamin D also helps maintain calcium and phosphate levels to help your bones form properly. It’s made within the skin from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays in Your body can’t process the calcium your bones need to stay strong if you have low levels of vitamin D. A vitamin D deficiency can result from: • a problem with your diet • a lack of sun exposure • an issue with your intestines You may also have a problem absorbing vitamin D or breaking down food to release it if you’ve had surgery to remove parts of your stomach or small intestine. Certain conditions can interfere with the absorption of vitamin D: • • Certain types of cancer can interfere with vitamin D processing. • A diet that doesn’t include phosphates can cause phosphate depletion, which can also lead to osteomalacia. Drugs for treating There are a few symptoms of osteomalacia. The most common is bones that fracture easily. An...

The word osteomalacia means “soft bones.” The condition keeps your bones from mineralizing, or hardening, as they should. That makes them weak and more likely to bend and break. Only adults have it. When the same thing happens in children, it’s called It’s not the same as osteoporosis. Both can cause bones to break. But while osteomalacia is a problem with bones not hardening, osteoporosis is the weakening of the bone. Causes Your bones rely on certain minerals to grow strong and stay solid. If your body isn’t getting enough of them, you can get osteomalacia. There are different reasons it can happen. The main ones are: You’re not taking in enough Your body has a hard time absorbing Some It’s rare, but some people have a genetic condition that causes osteomalacia. Symptoms If you have soft bones, you may have symptoms, including: • Easily broken bones • Feeling • Pain • Stiffness • Trouble getting up from sitting or walking up stairs • Weak muscles in your arms and thighs People with osteomalacia may walk with a waddling, side-to-side stride. Diagnosis Your doctor probably will recommend: • Blood tests to measure the level of vitamin D in your body • X-rays to look at your bone structure • Bone mineral density scans to test the amount of It doesn’t happen often, but your doctor may want to do a bone Treatment If osteomalacia comes from not getting enough vitamin D, you can treat it by getting more of it in your diet through certain foods and supplements. Foods with vitamin...