A person's bones help her move, give her body shape and support and are living tissues that regenerate throughout her life. Getting sufficient amounts of calcium, vitamin D and exercise helps build strong bones and can prevent bone loss during adulthood. Some people, however, develop diseases that affect bone growth.
Paget's Disease of Bone
Paget's disease of bone is a disease related to bone growth. According to the Mayo Clinic, normal bone metabolism continually recycles old bone into new bone throughout a person's lifespan. Paget's disease of bone is a condition that affects how a person's bones break down and rebuild; the rate of bone break down and formation is unfavorably altered and bones become fragile and deformed. The Mayo Clinic notes that Paget's disease of bone is more common in older adults, and that bone and joint discomfort among older people may be a sign of something more than just osteoarthritis. To prevent the serious complications associated with Paget's disease, older individuals should seek treatment as quickly as possible after symptoms—including deep and achy bone pain, pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints and numbness, tingling, weakness or pain in the extremities—appear.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a disease related to bone growth. The Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation or OIF—an online resource for people affected by osteogenesis imperfecta and their caregivers—states that osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, is a genetic disorder in which a person has fragile bones that are vulnerable to fracture. A person is born with this condition and has it for life. According to the OIF, osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by a gene mutation that alters the body's production of the collagen—a type of connective tissue—found in bones, and that insufficient calcium intake or poor nutrition are not causative factors. The OIF notes that, along with frequent fractures, common signs or symptoms associated with osteogenesis imperfecta include muscle weakness, hearing loss, fatigue, ligament laxity, curved bones, scoliosis, blue sclerae, brittle teeth and short stature.
Rickets
Rickets is a disease related to bone growth. According to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphate, and it results in bone softening or weakening. Vitamin D helps a person's body regulate calcium and phosphate levels, and if the blood levels of calcium and phosphate drop below the body's threshold or set point, this may trigger the release of certain hormones that cause these minerals to be mobilized from the bones, which inevitably leads to bone weakening and softening. The NIH notes that a person may not get enough vitamin D from her diet if she is lactose intolerant or has difficulty digesting milk products, does not consume milk products or consumes a strict vegetarian diet. The Mayo Clinic website lists the common symptoms associated with rickets: skeletal deformities, fragile bones, impaired growth, dental problems, bone pain and muscle weakness.
