Skeletal System

●Osteoporosis● Bone Fractures

Osteoporosis

What isCausesSigns & SymptomsTreatmentPreventionLife SpeciationDiagnosis

Is the most common type of bone disease.

Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, when too much old bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both.

Women over age 50 and men over age 70 have a higher risk for osteoporosis.

Causes

The leading causes of osteoporosis are a drop in estrogen in women at the time of menopause and a drop in testosterone in men. Chronic kidney disease, eating disorders are also some other possible reasons.

Symptoms

Bone pain or tenderness Fractures with little or no trauma Loss of height (as much as 6 inches)

over time Low back pain due to fractures of the

spinal bones Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal

bones

Treatments

Lifestyle changes and a variety of medications.

Teriparatide is approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women who have severe osteoporosis and are considered at high risk for fractures. The medicine is given through daily shots underneath the skin.

Regular exercise can reduce the likelihood of bone fractures in people with osteoporosis. Some of the recommended exercises include:

Prevention

Calcium is essential for building and maintaining healthy bone. Vitamin D is also needed because it helps your body absorb calcium

Follow a diet that provides the proper amount of calcium, vitamin D, and protein

Quit smoking. Limit alcohol intake It is also critical to prevent falls

Life Speciation

You can live for quite a long time as long as you take certain precautions and have a proper diet andf lifestyle according to your condition.

Diagnosis

A densitometry or DEXA scan can measure how much bone you have

Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) may be used in rare cases.

A spine or hip x-ray may show fracture or collapse of the spinal bones. However, simple x-rays of bones are not very accurate in predicting whether someone is likely to have osteoporosis.

Is there any treatment to relieve their symptoms?

Bisphosphonates are the primary drugs used to both prevent and treat.

Calcitonin is a medicine that slows the rate of bone loss and relieves bone pain.

Bone Fracture

What isCausesClassificationSigns & SymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention

A bone fracture (sometimes abbreviated FRX or Fx, Fx, or #) is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone. A bone fracture can be the result of high force impact or stress, or trivial injury as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer, or osteogenesis imperfecta, where the fracture is then termed pathological fracture.

The most common causes include:

»High impact sports injuries »Traumatic, forceful and unnatural movements »Overuse - prolonged long-distance walking or running »Falls »Accidents »Osteoporosis»Tumors growing near the bone

Greenstick is a fracture in a young, soft bone in which the bone bends and partially breaks.Spiral: Sometimes called a torsion fracture, in which a bone has been twisted apart. Comminuted: Bone is broken, splintered or crushed into a number of pieces. Transverse: The break is across the bone, at a right angle to the long axis of the bone.Compound: The bone is sticking through the skin. Also called an open fracture.Compression: caused by compression, the act of pressing together. Compression fractures of the vertebrae are especially common in the elderly.

Classification

Swelling around the injured areaLoss of function in the injured areaBruising around the injured areaDeformity of a limb

Signs & Sympotms

A bone fracture is diagnosed by a physical examination and x-rays of the injured area. However, some types of fractures are difficult to see on an x-ray. In this case, your doctor may order other diagnostic imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or bone scans. Open fractures require additional laboratory tests to determine whether blood has been lost and if there is infection.

Diagnosis

The treatment for a bone fracture depends upon the type and location of the fracture and the patient’s age and medical history. When a fracture is suspected, the affected area should be immobilized to prevent any further damage.

Treatment

Weight-bearing exercise and sufficient amounts of calcium in the diet help strengthenthe bones and prevent bone fractures. Wearing a seat belt when riding in a motor vehicle. People who participate in contact sports should wear appropriate protective gear. Doctors recommend estrogen therapy for women over the age of 50. This, as well as calcium supplements, can help lower the risk of osteoporosis and related bone injuries.

Prevention

A new study shows that osteoporotic fractures increase a person's risk of dying, even after relatively minor fractures if that person is elderly. With hip fractures, there is double the risk of death for women, three times the risk for men.