- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Bone Diseases
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
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Genetics
- Acromicric dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Adams-Oliver syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Atelosteogenesis type 1: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Atelosteogenesis type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Atelosteogenesis type 3: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Boomerang dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Caffey disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Campomelic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Camurati-Engelmann disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Cantú syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- CHST3-related skeletal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Cranioectodermal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Craniometaphyseal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Diastrophic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Fibrochondrogenesis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Ghosal hematodiaphyseal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Greenberg dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hereditary multiple osteochondromas: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hypophosphatasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Intrauterine growth restriction, metaphyseal dysplasia, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, and genital anomalies: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Juvenile Paget disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Klippel-Feil syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Langer mesomelic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Larsen syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Maffucci syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Majeed syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Mandibuloacral dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- McCune-Albright syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Melnick-Needles syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Miller syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Multicentric osteolysis, nodulosis, and arthropathy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Nager syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Ollier disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Osteopetrosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Otopalatodigital syndrome type 1: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Otopalatodigital syndrome type 2: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Platyspondylic lethal skeletal dysplasia, Torrance type: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Potocki-Shaffer syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Progressive osseous heteroplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Proteus syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Pyle disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Schwartz-Jampel syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- SOST-related sclerosing bone dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Spondyloenchondrodysplasia with immune dysregulation: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Tarsal-carpal coalition syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Tetra-amelia syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type II: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Weyers acrofacial dysostosis: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Winchester syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- X-linked chondrodysplasia punctata 1: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- X-linked chondrodysplasia punctata 2: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- X-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Encyclopedia
- Aging changes in the bones – muscles – joints Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone scan Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
- Calcium blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Craniotabes Medical Encyclopedia
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Medical Encyclopedia
- Joint x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
- McCune-Albright syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
- Orthopedic services Medical Encyclopedia
- Osteitis fibrosa Medical Encyclopedia
- Phosphorus blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Pseudohypoparathyroidism Medical Encyclopedia
- Skeletal limb abnormalities Medical Encyclopedia
- Thoracic spine x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
- X-ray – skeleton Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Alkaline Phosphatase National Library of Medicine
- Bone Biopsy Radiological Society of North America
- Bone Density Scan National Library of Medicine
- Bone Scan Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Bone X-Ray (Radiography) Radiological Society of North America
- Calcium Blood Test National Library of Medicine
Patient Handouts
- ALP – blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- ALP isoenzyme test Medical Encyclopedia
- Blount disease Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone lesion biopsy Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone pain or tenderness Medical Encyclopedia
- Bone tumor Medical Encyclopedia
- Bowlegs Medical Encyclopedia
- Fibrous dysplasia Medical Encyclopedia
- Osteomalacia Medical Encyclopedia
- Osteopenia – premature infants Medical Encyclopedia
Reference Desk
- Appendicular Skeleton National Cancer Institute
- Axial Skeleton National Cancer Institute
Teenagers
- Blount Disease Nemours Foundation
Related Issues
- Bone and Joint Problems Associated with Diabetes Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Hyperparathyroidism American Academy of Family Physicians
Specifics
- Bone Spurs Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Bone Tumor American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- 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
- Fibrous Dysplasia/McCune-Albright Syndrome National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Hypophosphatasia Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
- Klippel-Feil Syndrome National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Osteochondritis Dissecans American Academy of Family Physicians
- Osteochondroma American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Osteoid Osteoma American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Osteopetroses Merck & Co., Inc.
Start Here
- Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Musculoskeletal System Nemours Foundation
Children
- Campomelic dysplasia Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
- Campomelic Dysplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Cartilage Hair Hypoplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Diastrophic Dysplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Ellis-Van Creveld Dysplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Healthy Bones Matter National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Kids and Their Bones National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Kniest Dysplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Pseudoachondroplasia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDc) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Your Bones Nemours Foundation
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Diseases National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Osteomyelitis National Institutes of Health
Videos and Tutorials
- Cracking Down on a Rare Bone Disorder National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Healthy Bones at Every Age American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Find an Expert
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases