Bone Diseases

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your bones help you move, give you shape and support your body. They are living tissues that rebuild constantly throughout your life. During childhood and your teens, your body adds new bone faster than it removes old bone. After about age 20, you can lose bone faster than you make bone. To have strong bones when you are young, and to prevent bone loss when you are older, you need to get enough calcium, vitamin D, and exercise. You should also avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Bone diseases can make bones easy to break. Different kinds of bone problems include

• Low bone density and osteoporosis, which make your bones weak and more likely to break
• Osteogenesis imperfecta makes your bones brittle
• Paget's disease of bone makes them weak
• Bones can also develop cancer and infections
• Other bone diseases, which are caused by poor nutrition, genetics, or problems with the rate of bone growth or rebuilding

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Musculoskeletal System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Alkaline Phosphatase (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Bone Biopsy (Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Bone Densitometry (Bone Density Scan) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Bone Markers (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Bone Scan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Bone X-Ray (Radiography) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Calcium Blood Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Healthy Bones at Every Age (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Bone and Joint Problems Associated with Diabetes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Hyperparathyroidism (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Oral Health and Bone Disease (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Specifics

• Bone Spurs (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Bone Tumor (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Chondroblastoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Chondromyxoid Fibroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Enchondroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatoses) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Fibrous Dysplasia (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Hypophosphatasia (Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation) - PDF
• Klippel-Feil Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Osteochondroma (Bone Tumor) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Osteoid Osteoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Osteopetroses (Merck & Co., Inc.)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: acromicric dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Adams-Oliver syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: atelosteogenesis type 1 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: atelosteogenesis type 2 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: atelosteogenesis type 3 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: boomerang dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Caffey disease (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: campomelic dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Camurati-Engelmann disease (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Cantú syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: CHST3-related skeletal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: cranioectodermal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: craniometaphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: diastrophic dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: fibrochondrogenesis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: frontometaphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Ghosal hematodiaphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Greenberg dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: hereditary multiple osteochondromas (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: hypophosphatasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: intrauterine growth restriction, metaphyseal dysplasia, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, and genital anomalies (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: juvenile Paget disease (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Klippel-Feil syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Langer mesomelic dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Larsen syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Maffucci syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Majeed syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: mandibuloacral dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: McCune-Albright syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Melnick-Needles syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: melorheostosis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Miller syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: multicentric osteolysis, nodulosis, and arthropathy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Nager syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Ollier disease (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: osteopetrosis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: otopalatodigital syndrome type 1 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: otopalatodigital syndrome type 2 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: platyspondylic lethal skeletal dysplasia, Torrance type (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Potocki-Shaffer syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: progressive osseous heteroplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Proteus syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Pyle disease (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: SOST-related sclerosing bone dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: spondyloenchondrodysplasia with immune dysregulation (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: tarsal-carpal coalition syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: tetra-amelia syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type II (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Weyers acrofacial dysostosis (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Winchester syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: X-linked chondrodysplasia punctata 1 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: X-linked chondrodysplasia punctata 2 (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: X-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Childhood Forearm Breaks Resulting from Mild Trauma May Indicate Bone Deficits (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Osteomyelitis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Treatment of peri-implant soft tissue defects: a narrative review.
• Article: Diagnostic accuracy of digital X-ray radiogrammetry on hand bone loss for...
• Article: Prevention and control strategies for children Kashin-Beck disease in China: A...
• Bone Diseases -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Appendicular Skeleton (National Cancer Institute)
• Axial Skeleton (National Cancer Institute)

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
• National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases~National Resource Center (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Children

• Campomelic dysplasia (Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Bones Matter (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
• Nonossifying Fibroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Osteochondritis Dissecans (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
• Your Bones (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Blount Disease (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• ALP - blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• ALP isoenzyme test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Blount disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone lesion biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone pain or tenderness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone tumor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bowlegs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Fibrous dysplasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteomalacia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteopenia - premature infants (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish