Bone Disease

Bone Disease

Introduction

Skeletal system gives the basic framework to the human body. Human skeletal system is composed of bones and joints. It is the support system of the body, providing it the articulation and protection of internal organs. The skeletal system also makes the mobility possible and provides the body with bone marrow that are responsible for the production of red blood cells.. The bones also help in maintaining the electrolyte balance by storing the calcium and phosphates. They also help in the process of detoxification and maintaining the acid base balance, and release the mineral salts when the pH has to be adjusted. The skeletal system thus plays a pivotal role in the well being and maintenance of the proper human articulation.

Discussion

Skeletal system is a vital system of the human body. The bones also need nourishment for their proper growth and well being. There are conditions, when these bones or joints are affected or infected. This leads to the formation of different disease conditions, resulting in the weakening of bones and joints.

Osteoporosis, A Bone Disorder

Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone disorder found prevalent in the population. It is the condition when the bones become weak and porous, therefore, the condition is also known as “porous bones”. Although the disease has been known to occur in both, men and women, but it has been known to occur more commonly in women than in men. From ages, it has been a major problem in the health care system. It is the skeletal system disorder in which there is a compromised bone strength that predisposes the individual to a higher risk of getting fractures.

Pathogenesis of the Disease

Osteoporosis occurs when there is an imbalance between the bone resorption and bone formation processes. In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density is affected. This BMD is affected when the resorption processes is faster than the formation process. This increases the velocity of bone loss and results is weak porous bones.

As the world health organization defines, in 1994, the BMD value greater than 2.5 standard deviations below the average grown-up value indicates the presence of osteoporosis (Sipos1, Pietschmann, Rauner, et.al, 2008, p.238).

Population at risk

The risk factors that are associated with the condition are as follows:

Feminine sex

People with aged greater than 70 years

Caucasians

Before time beginning of menopause

Elongated postmenopausal intermission

Asians

Inactivity

Diagnosis

The diagnosis can be done using three techniques

Radiographic quantification of bone mineral density

Laboratory biochemical markers

Pathologic ...