Bone Diseases Guide by Dr. Burak: What You Need to Know.

Publication Date:May 5, 2022

Bone diseases are very prevalent in the global population; for instance, osteoporosis alone is estimated to affect over 200 million people.(For detailed statistics, visit: National Osteoporosis Foundation.) Even though rare, some conditions, like osteogenesis imperfecta and Paget’s disease, are particularly difficult for patients. 

Dr. Burak Sercan is a professional surgeon with extensive knowledge in the field. He is also highly skilled in areas such as bone grafting. In this blog, you will find brief information about the most common bone diseases, explained by him. 

While this guide is designed to offer a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology, symptoms, and treatment of these disorders based on current research and clinical findings, it also seeks to help you, the advanced practitioner, diagnose and treat these disorders effectively. Read on! 

Key Takeaways

  • Bone diseases are common globally, with osteoporosis affecting over 200 million people. Conditions like osteogenesis imperfecta and Paget’s disease are rare but challenging for patients.
  • Dr. Burak Sercan, a skilled surgeon with expertise in bone diseases and bone grafting, provides valuable information on these conditions.
  • The blog offers a detailed overview of various bone diseases, including cervical spondylosis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondylitis.It also covers less common conditions such as polymyalgia rheumatica, bone cancer, and fibrous dysplasia.
  • The guide aims to help advanced practitioners diagnose and treat bone diseases effectively, based on current research and clinical findings.
  • Readers are encouraged to seek professional advice from Dr. Burak Sercan for tissue repair and bone disease management.

Most Common Bone Diseases Explained:

Cervical Spondylosis

Neck arthritis or cervical spondylosis is a degenerative disease of the cervical vertebra and the discs. This condition is attributed to the gradual degradation of the bones, discs and joints within the cervical spine due to aging. These structures may change in a way that becomes painful over time; it may lead to symptoms such as neck pain, perhaps stiffness at times and sometimes there may be more serious problems such as nerve compression and this may present as numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms, hands or fingers.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a common disease that affects the human skeletal system, as it leads to the thinning and weakening of bones, thus increasing their fragility to breakage. This condition emerges when the body loses more bone mass than it can produce or it produces little bone tissue. Instead, they weaken and the bone tissue dissipates, making them fragile and prone to fractures even when experiencing minor falls or worse, while in severe cases simple movements such as bending and coughing may lead to fractures.

Metatarsalgia

The pain in the area where the comb bones are located, also known as metatarsal bones, at the base of the foot is called “metatarsalgia”. Trauma can be caused by structural foot deformities such as length differences, flatfoot, hallux valgus, hallux rigitus, some disorders, bone and soft tissue disorders.

Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a muscle of rheumatic disease that causes pain and stiffness in certain muscle groups. Unlike most inflammatory rheumatic diseases, it hold not the joints, but the muscles, and with proper treatment, it also heals in a very short time.

Bone Cancer

Tumor tissues can arise as a result of the uncontrolled proliferation of cells of different origins and biological properties located in bone tissue for various reasons. Since bone tissue is well-blooded and has a close relationship with the surrounding tissues, its spread and metastasis can be observed.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease that involves the wearing away of the cartilage – the smooth, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Fashionable, the cartilage dies, bones starts grating against one another causing pain, inflammation, stiffness as well as limited joint movement within the affected parts of the body. In its chronic stable phase osteoarthritis can lead to alterations in joint structure such as small spur formation and muscular and ligamentous weakness.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an enduring condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s tissues, particularly affecting joint tissues. Comparatively, osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints whereas rheumatoid arthritis which affects the synovium –the membrane of the joints, is caused due to the immune mechanism in the body going wrong and attacking its own tissues.

Rickets

Rickets is the name given to the condition of softening and weakening of the bones, which is usually observed in children due to excessive and prolonged vitamin D deficiency.

Bone Disease

Osteopathy is any condition that caused the bones to become more brittle, rigid and likely to fracture or become deformed. These diseases may have impact on contours, structural arrangement and sturdiness of bones and thus, they may be associated with various signs and complications. Bone diseases may be inherited, due to poor nutrition, endocrine disorders, or infections, and other systemic disorders.

Spondylitis

Spondylitis means inflammation of one or more than one vertebra belonging to the spine. This condition for instance, results in pain and stiffness of the spine as well as swelling throughout the spinal region and can also spread to other parts of the body. Spondylitis generally occurs in relation to spondyloarthropathies, which are a number of chronic inflammatory diseases that affect the spine and, to a certain extent, joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Aplastic Anemia

Red blood cells that are continuing to produce at any time cannot reproduce healthy without vitamin B12, and their production begins to decrease. When there is not enough vitamin B12, red blood cell production is disrupted and the body cannot produce erythrocytes

Arthritis

It is an inflammatory condition that occurs in the joints, produced by the body. Along with inflammation of the joints such as the ankle, knee, wrist, swelling can cause conditions such as diseases that lead to hardening and pain in the joints.

Fibrous Dysplasia

In short, it is a localized, benign, developmental bone disease of unknown cause characterized by the fact that healthy bone is replaced by weak and poorly organized fibro osseous tissue.

Hip Fracture

It is a fracture of the thigh bone that forms the hip joint, that is, the upper part of the femur.

Graft-Versus-Host Disease

It is a complex clinical syndrome that leads to organ dysfunction as a result of a severe immunological reaction mediated by healthy T-lymphocytes taken from the donor and given to the patient together with stem cells.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a condition that occurs in those who use the forearm muscles excessively and results in pain in the elbow.

Paget Disease Of Bone

It is a benign chronic bone disease and is the most common bone disease after osteoporosis in the older age group of patients.

Stress Fracture

Fractures that occur as a result of exposure of the bones involved to more than their potential

Dislocation

It is a permanent detachment of the articular surfaces. It can’t return to his normal position on his own.

Spondylosis

It is a disease that occurs when the discs between the vertebrae Decayed and degenerated, as well as the articular cartilage between the facet joints.

Curvature Of The Spine

It is a disorder that is usually diagnosed at the age of growth. It occurs when the vertebrae curve to the right, left, or rotate around themselves, depending on different reasons.

Contact us now to get professional counseling from Dr. Burak Sercan regarding your next tissue repair procedure. 

FAQ

What are the most common bone diseases?

The ordinary bone diseases include osteomalacia, osteoporosis, arthritis, and Paget’s disease of bones.

What are early signs of bone disease?

The symptoms of early bone disease may include bone pain, bone fracture from minor accidents, loss of height, and, in severe cases, having a bow-legged posture.

Can a bone disease be cured?

While several bone diseases for instance infections or fractures have cure, other disorders include osteoporosis are managed and not cured.

What is it called when your bones are deteriorating?

When your bones are weakening, it is usually called bone depletion or osteopenia, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Can you fix bone degeneration?

Osteoporosis is a condition that may be controlled and progression may be arrested with help from changes in lifestyle, medication and physical therapy, however, cannot be totally cured.

What is the most common degenerative bone disease?

The most prevalent degenerative bone disease is osteoporosis.

Head surgeon Dr. Burak Sercan

Here we go! I was born in my lovely hometown of Izmir in 1986. I am married and have two wonderful children of my own. I completed my primary education at Ali Şir Nevai Primary School, and my secondary and high school education at İzmir Çiğli Milli Piyango Anatolian High School. I graduated from Ege University’s Faculty of Medicine in 2010. During my compulsory service in Van Erciş, I passed the specialization exam and started my specialization in the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery at Ege University.

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