The skeletal system is made up of 200 to 300 bones, some of which support musculature and posture, or protect essential organs. Bone tissue constantly grows and develops throughout life, with some cell types continually depositing new bone tissue, and other cell types continually breaking it down. Bone disease in children develops when the bones fail to develop normally, or the balance between bone deposition and resorption is disrupted. A number of common childhood bone disorders have been identified.
Rickets
One common bone disease in children is rickets. Children with rickets experience a progressive softening and weakening of the bones, leading to bone pain. Rickets also causes defects in tooth development, muscle weakness and skeletal deformities like bowed legs. Rickets is generally caused by vitamin or mineral deficiencies, specifically not getting enough vitamin D, phosphorus or calcium in the diet, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Phosphorus and calcium help make up a substance called hydroxyapatite, the mineral that makes bones hard. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels in the body and, therefore, helps regulate bone mineralization and hardness. Supplementing the diet with vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus can help alleviate the symptoms of rickets.
Perthes Disease
Another bone disorder that affects children is Perthes disease, also called Legg-Calve-Perthes. Perthes disease involves an abnormality in part of the femur, the thigh bone, and affects how the bone attaches to the hip. Children with Perthes disease do not have sufficient blood flow to the hip socket, which leads to tissue death in the femur. This leads to leg shortening on the affected side, knee and joint pain, and hip stiffness, and limping.
NYU Medical Center indicates that Perthes disease is commonly treated with surgery of the femur or hip bone to correct the placement of the femur in the hip socket, restoring blood flow and treating the symptoms of the disease. Surgery can also allow for muscle growth to correct limping as a result of the disease. Surgery, along with medication, can help restore proper movement at the hip joint.
Brittle Bone Disease
Brittle bone disease, also called osteogenesis imperfecta, is another bone disorder that affects children. Brittle bone disease develops when a key structural component of bone tissue, collagen, is not synthesized properly. Since collagen helps support the structure of the bone, and allows for the ability of the bone to absorb stress, the lack of collagen leads to brittle bones that can fracture easily. Children with brittle bone disease often experience multiple fractures, and in severe cases, these bone fractures can occur before birth, reports the Genetics Home Reference. Brittle bone disease is a genetic disorder caused by mutations to a number of genes. The treatment for brittle bone disease depends on the severity of the disorder and the genetic mutations underlying the disease.
