Bone Diseases

On this page

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

ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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)
Bone X-Ray (Radiography) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Calcium Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Prevention and Risk Factors

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

Living With

Vitamin A and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Related Issues

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

Specifics

Bone Spurs (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Bone Tumor (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
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) - PDF
Osteoid Osteoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Osteopetroses (Merck & Co., Inc.)
Proteus Syndrome (Proteus Syndrome Foundation)

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: achondrogenesis (National Library of Medicine)
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: Coats plus syndrome (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: Hajdu-Cheney syndrome (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: juvenile primary osteoporosis (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Klippel-Feil syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Kniest dysplasia (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: Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (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: 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: osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome (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: otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia (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: RAPADILINO syndrome (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: spondyloperipheral dysplasia (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 I (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type II (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: vitamin D-dependent rickets (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome (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)

Health Check Tools

Check Up On Your Bones (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

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)

Reference Desk

Appendicular Skeleton (National Cancer Institute)
Axial Skeleton (National Cancer Institute)
Glossary (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
What Is Bone? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

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)
Your Bones (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Blount Disease (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

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