Osteomalacia vs osteoporosis

Bone health is important for a healthy body. Osteoporosis and osteomalacia are two diseases that affect the bones. While they both weaken the bones, they act in different ways. Knowing the difference between the two can help you talk with a medical professional about your symptoms and get the appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Osteomalacia and osteoporosis are two different conditions that affect the bones. Osteomalacia It is most often caused by a A lack of vitamin D can be • issues in your diet • lack of sun exposure • intestinal issues Sometimes the body has trouble absorbing vitamin D, leading to a deficiency. Various health conditions can cause problems with nutrient absorption, • celiac disease • certain kinds of cancer • kidney and liver disorders • medications for certain conditions like seizures Osteoporosis The inside of a bone typically has spaces akin to a honeycomb structure. In osteoporosis, these spaces are bigger than in healthy bones, which weakens the bone. The biggest Other risk factors can • family history of osteoporosis • poor nutrition • smoking • low body weight • small body frame According to research provided by the Can you have both? It is possible to have both osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Low bone density that could be classified as osteoporosis has been found in up to It is important to distinguish this secondary osteoporosis from primary osteoporosis, as the focus and treatment are different. Osteomalacia Osteoporosis Symptoms may easily f...

Share on Pinterest SDI Productions/Getty Images Osteoporosis and osteopenia are both conditions that affect the strength and health of your bones. The difference between the two lies in the level of bone damage. Keep reading to learn more about the differences between these two conditions, how doctors diagnose levels of bone damage, and what you can do to protect your bone health. Osteopenia can be considered the first step toward osteoporosis. Technically, it’s just a way of saying that your bone density is lower than normal, but not yet causing real problems. Bone density peaks around age 35, and as your bone density decreases, you may be diagnosed with osteopenia. Typically, this begins to occur with no symptoms at all, but if you begin to break or fracture bones easily, your doctor may decide to measure your bone density. If you have a lower than normal bone density score — between -1 and -2.5 — you have osteopenia. If you score is lower than -2.5, you may be diagnosed with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the more serious progression of osteopenia. As bone density decreases, the honeycomb-like structure inside your bones becomes even more porous. The more open spaces there are inside your bones, the more density and strength they lose. The light, fragile bones that develop with osteoporosis can place you at a higher risk for fractures and breaks, even when you are doing simple daily activities. Everyone’s bones lose some mass and density over time. After 35, bone strengt...

The word “osteomalacia” comes from the Greek roots “osteon” and “malakia,” meaning “bone” and “soft.” The medical condition may cause pain, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, and an increased risk of bone fracture. When caused by vitamin D deficiency, osteomalacia is sometimes called “hypovitaminosis D osteopathy. Elderly persons have a particularly high risk of osteomalacia. Causes What Is Bone Mineralization? In order to understand what causes osteomalacia, it’s helpful to learn about the structure of your bones. Living cells in your bone secrete proteins that form osteoid, a material that forms your bone’s underlying structure. Cells then secrete hard substances containing minerals like calcium and phosphate. These are tightly networked together and connected to the underlying protein structure. This process is called mineralization. The minerals are what gives your bones their hardness and resistance. Normally, throughout your life, there is a certain amount of bone turnover. That is, parts of your bones are being broken down, while simultaneously other parts are reforming bone tissue. In osteomalacia, some of the existing underlying bone matrix becomes unmineralized. Also, when new bone is formed, it doesn’t become properly hardened and mineralized. Another way to put it is that there is a decrease in the amount of calcium and other minerals for a given unit of underlying protein bone matrix. That makes the bones too soft. Osteomalacia is related to a very similar d...

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...

Osteoporosis results from a combination of low peak bone mass, increased bone resorption, and impaired bone formation. Osteomalacia is due to impaired mineralization, usually because of severe vitamin D deficiency or abnormal vitamin D metabolism (see Vitamin D Vitamin D Deficiency and Dependency Inadequate exposure to sunlight predisposes to vitamin D deficiency. Deficiency impairs bone mineralization, causing rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults and possibly contributing... read more ). Osteomalacia can be caused by disorders that interfere with vitamin D absorption (eg, Celiac Disease Celiac disease is an immunologically mediated disease in genetically susceptible people caused by intolerance to gluten, resulting in mucosal inflammation and villous atrophy, which causes malabsorption... read more ) and by certain drugs (eg, Drug Treatment of Seizures No single drug controls all types of seizures, and different patients require different drugs. Some patients require multiple drugs. (See also the practice guideline for the treatment of refractory... read more ). Osteoporosis is much more common than osteomalacia in the US. The two disorders may coexist, and their clinical expression is similar; moreover, patients with osteoporosis may have mild to moderate vitamin D deficiency.

Osteoporosis vs Osteomalacia When you are dealing with new or worsening physical health symptoms, you want answers immediately. At times, the uncertainty surrounding your condition can be more stressful than the actual symptoms. With so many diseases and disorders sharing similar symptoms, it can seem impossible to know what ailment is responsible for your experience. The debate between osteoporosis and osteomalacia is a great example of this struggle to identify the correct condition. These disorders of the bones are frequently mistaken for each other, resulting in misunderstandings and misdiagnoses. To better understand your symptoms, it is valuable to gain an understanding of the conditions that could be affecting your life. Osteoporosis Basics Osteoporosis is a condition that causes your bones to become weak and brittle. Though they seem static, bones are constantly being broken down and rebuilt within the body. With osteoporosis, the body does not do a good job of replacing and repairing the bones that are broken down. When bones are affected by osteoporosis, even the most minor bump or fall can lead to a break. The hips, wrists and spine are at the greatest risk for fractures as osteoporosis develops. Osteoporosis is tricky to identify early on because the condition begins with few noticeable symptoms. As time goes on, you may experience • Back pain • Shrinking or loss of height • Appears hunched or stooped over • Numerous broken bones Osteomalacia Basics Osteomalaci...

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...

The inside of healthy bone looks like a sponge. This area is called trabecular bone . An outer shell of dense bone wraps around the spongy bone. This hard shell is called cortical bone. When osteoporosis occurs, the holes in the sponge grow larger and more numerous, which weakens the inside of the bone. When the body needs calcium, it breaks down and rebuilds bone. This process is called bone remodeling. Up until about age 30, you normally build more bone than you lose. After age 35, bone breakdown occurs faster than bone buildup, which causes a gradual loss of bone mass. With osteoporosis, you lose bone mass at a greater rate. A bone density test, known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, is performed to evaluate decreases in bone density and the risk for broken bones, as well as to monitor treatment progress. These X-rays use very small amounts of radiation to determine how solid the bones of the spine, hip, or wrist are. Diagnosis requires tests and imaging to differentiate osteomalacia and osteoporosis from other conditions. Symptomatic osteomalacia and fractures as a result of osteoporosis can appear similar. A bone density test is the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis, while blood testing measuring vitamin D levels is the best way to diagnose osteomalacia. Treatment Osteomalacia Osteomalacia can be caught early and cured. Depending on the severity of osteomalacia, taking vitamin D supplements over several weeks can improve the condition. The goal...

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...

Osteomalacia and osteoporosis are conditions that affect bone tissue and bone formation. Doctors characterize osteomalacia as softening bone, and osteoporosis refers to a loss of bone density. While In osteomalacia, the new bone does not harden as it should, and the bone tissue becomes soft. In osteoporosis, the bone becomes weak and thin because of a disruption in bone formation and bone loss. This article compares osteomalacia and osteoporosis and looks at the diagnosis, treatments, and outlooks for both. Share on Pinterest vadimrysev/Getty Images Osteomalacia and osteoporosis are both conditions that affect the bones. Osteomalacia In osteomalacia, the bones do not harden as they should during a process called bone turnover, which occurs throughout a person’s life. Bone turnover is a process Minerals usually coat the collagen layer in a hard, protective shell. However, in a person with osteomalacia, the coating This malformation can result from vitamin D and calcium deficiencies. In rare cases, it can occur due to inherited genetic disorders. Osteoporosis Osteoporosis In a person with osteoporosis, the body breaks down more bone tissue than it replaces. This results in bones becoming porous, with a thin outer layer. The bones may become weak to the point where they can easily break. The risk of osteoporosis increases as a person ages. Additionally, Can a person have both? A person can have both osteomalacia and osteoporosis, although the latter is the Osteomalacia Osteop...