Bones serve a variety of purposes in the body, such as protecting internal organs, providing support for the body and storing blood cells. Bone disorders come from a variety of sources including infections, injuries, genetics and abnormal growths. Disorders of the bone affect movement, the immune system and stature.
Bone Cyst
A unicameral bone cyst, as stated by Children's Hospital Boston, is a benign fluid-filled cavity in the bone. A compressed fibrous tissue lines the cavity. Between 50 and 60 percent of the unicameral bone cysts are in the upper part of the humerus, which is in the arm. The femur (leg) is the location for between 25 and 30 percent of the cysts. Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are most likely to develop a bone cyst. For older children or adults, the primary location is in flat bones or the heel.
Most unicameral bone cysts go undetected unless some other injury requires an x-ray of the area. If an active cyst is located near the growth plate, shortening of the bone may occur.
Infectious Arthritis
A bacterial, viral or fungal infection in the joint fluid and tissues causes infectious arthritis in people with abnormal joints. Methods of joint contamination include an infection in the bloodstream transferred to the joint, contamination during surgery and by injection or injury. Bacterial infectants include staphylococci, gonococci, streptococci and spirochetes. Viral infectants include parvoviruses, HIV and hepatitis B. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include fever, pain, redness and swelling around the joint.
Paget's Disease of the Bone
Paget's disease of the bone most often affects the spine, skull, pelvis, arms and legs, as stated by Mayo Clinic. Paget's disease affects the rate of the breakdown and rebuilding of the bones. Healthy bones continually rebuild. In Paget's disease of the bone, the cycle breaks and new bone forms that causes fragile, misshapen bones. Symptoms include deep, aching bone pain and joint swelling with stiffness. Nerve compression from enlarged bones causes severe pain in the area of the affected nerve.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) causes pain, tenderness and swelling where the kneecap (patella) attaches to the shinbone (tibia). Adolescents are susceptible to OSD due to the growth spurts and changes in muscle strength. Kidshealth.org states that pain ranges from intermittent and mild to constant and severe.
Kohler's Bone Disease
Merck Manuals, an online medical library, states that Kohler's bone disease is more common among boys, and usually presents between ages 3 to 5 years old. Kohler's is inflammation of a bone at the arch of the foot, the tarsal navicular bone. The navicular bone goes through a process of flattening, hardening and breaking into fragments before healing. The fragments harden back into bone within about two years. Symptoms include tenderness, swelling and pain at the arch of the foot.
