Case Study Of Osteomalacia

According to the US National Library of Medicine, “rickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate”. What does this mean exactly? Vitamin D, calcium and phosphate are necessary to promote strong bone health. Without these essential components, our bones become brittle and weak. Impaired growth, skeletal deformities, decreased muscle tone, probability of bone fractures and dental deformities are likely.

Rickets is seen during periods of rapid growth because during growth a great deal of vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium are needed. “The predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but lack of adequate calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets. Although it can occur in adults, the majority of cases occur in children suffering from severe malnutrition, usually resulting from famine or starvation during the early stages of childhood” (Rickets, 2007). If a child is severely lacking theses important vitamins and minerals when they are rapidly growing, then the body will compensate for the nutrients’ deficiencies. “Your body senses an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus in your bloodstream and reacts by taking calcium and phosphorus from your bones to raise blood levels to where they need to be. This softens or weakens the bone structure, resulting most commonly in skeletal deformities such as bowlegs or improper curvature of the spine” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006).

Osteoporosis is a bone disease due to calcium loss. As a result the bones lose strength and density. People are usually unaware that they have the condition until they experience a fracture.

Osteopenia is a disease in which the bone density in a person is lower than normal but not so low to where they would be considered to have osteoporosis. To tell the difference between these similar disease you would have to speak with your doctor and schedule a bone density test. By measuring your bone density you will see how dense and how strong your bones are with having osteopenia over time the bones in the body will grow weak and be more prone to breaking as well with the lowering of bone density with having osteopenia it will develop into osteoporosis over time due to the low bone density. The causes of osteopenia are natural in everyone. As we get older are bones start to lose density around are middle aged years they start to become

Osteoporosis is a condition involving the thinning of bones(bone demineralisation), leaving them brittle and more susceptible to fracture. 99% of calcium is stored in the bones, so sufficient calcium is important in order to maintain or reach peak bone mass(PBM). Osteoporosis mainly effects the older population, with 19.8 million people over the age of 50 in the UK.

The body can synthesize vitamin D with the help of sunlight, from a precursor that the body makes from cholesterol. Osteoporosis is, " any failure to synthesize adequate vitamin D or obtain enough from foods sets the stage for a loss of calcium from the bones, which can result in fractures" (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013, p. 349). There are several common risk factors for developing osteoporosis, which lead to the condition of reduced bone density.

As osteoporosis occurs due to calcium deficiency, diet habit changes are crucial, allowing the body to recover and strengthen the bones. Bone strengthening nutrition often includes an increase intake of calcium and vitamin D (5).

Disease/Disorder: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, age-related inflammatory joint disease of the synovial joints. Its characteristics include local areas of loss and damage of articular cartilage, new bone formation of joint margins, subchondral bone changes, synovitis and thickening of the joint capsule. It is typically found in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. OA is often associated with wear and tear therefore symptoms improve with rest (Walker, 2011).

Each article analysed, as well as professional interviews indicated that rickets is the leading disease connected to bone deformities such as Genu Valgum (Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, 2014; Bowed legs, Blount's Disease, n.d) This is supported by orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Hermann (Hermann, 2016) who stated in an interview ‘’It can be caused through a fracture, trauma or a disease, a common one of is Rickets.’’ To elaborate, rickets is a vitamin D deficiency common in children; it causes a child to suffer from submissive bones and joints, as well as excruciating muscle pain. Rickets can develop through a number of causes, for example; naturally darker skin and lack of sun exposure. It is a key element to the body because of its ability to break down calcium, ultimately creating strong and healthy bones (Rickets, 2016; Shapiro, F

• Vitamin D deficiency[9] - low circulating Vitamin D is common among the elderly worldwide.[10] Mild vitamin D insufficiency is associated with increased Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) production. [10] PTH increases bone reabsorption, leading to bone loss. A positive association exists between serum 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol levels and bone mineral density, while PTH is negatively associated with bone mineral density.[10]

The term osteoporosis describes bone loss that is extensive enough to increase the risk of fracture. The term is a general one, not related to any specific cause for the bone loss. Nearly all people with OI have osteoporosis, because they do not develop appropriate bone mass at any age. Women and men with OI can experience additional bone loss, such as age-related bone loss, superimposed on a background of OI. Symptoms of additional bone loss may appear at a younger age than commonly seen in people who don’t have

Over many years, a sequence of spinal compression fractures might cause kyphosis, the bent-over posture known as dowager’s or widow’s

Hypophosphatemia is a condition where there is a lack of phosphate in the blood. This lack of phosphate results in a low bone density. According to the Journal of Bone and Mineral

Osteopathy is a system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. The philosophy of Osteopathy is that the structure of the body governs its function, so if a body's structure is impaired, then so is its function. From an Osteopathic perspective, the well-being of an individual

Rickets/Osteomalacia is a disorder involving the softening and weakening of a child’s bones, primarily caused by lack of vitamin D and or lack of calcium or phosphate. According to The Mayo Clinic, vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract. A deficiency of vitamin D makes it difficult to maintain proper calcium and phosphorus levels in bones, which can cause rickets. Adding vitamin D or calcium to the diet will generally correct the bone problems associated with rickets. Rickets should not be a single minded focus regarding a child’s diagnosis, but other underlying medical treatment would be needed. Some skeletal deformities caused by rickets may require corrective surgery.”