Osteochondrosis

From ArticleWorld

Osteochondrosis is a bone disorder that can result from several disease states. During rapid bony growth, the blood supply to bone becomes insufficient, leading to bone death and, usually, later bony regrowth.

Causes

Osteochondrosis may be a result of bone growth outstripping the vascular supply during rapid growth. Those who are more active are at greater risk for the disease. Microtrauma to bone during activity may play a role in the necrosis (or bone death) than results. Animal studies in pigs have found that a deficiency of the trace nutrient, boron, may affect the development of osteochondrosis in some animals.

Classifications

Spinal Disease: Osteochondrosis can affect the spine in Scheuermann’s Disease, where there is damage to the interspinal joints between the transverse processes.

Joint Disease: Several articular osteochondroses can occur in the joints. Necrosis (death) of the head of the femur, of the foot navicular bone, of the elbow and of the second metatarsal of the foot all involve the joint. In necrosis of the head of the femur (Legg-Calve’-Perthes disease), part of the problem is that there is only a single artery supplying the head of the femur so that rapid growth can lead to a less than adequate blood supply, hip pain and resultant bone loss.

Non-joint Disease: There can be osteochondrosis involving the lunate bone of the wrist or of the calcaneus in the heel. Related conditions to these kinds of osteochondroses are Osgood-Schlatter’s disease of the tibial tubercle or a condition known as osteochondritis dessicans.

Prognosis

The outcome of this condition varies with the degree of bony injury and the location of the bone loss. Several of the non-joint-related diseases heal spontaneously with rest of the affected area and no further symptoms are noted.

Joint-related osteochondroses do not generally fare as well. Legg-Calve’-Perthes disease often heals with the head of the femur in a deformed state. In such situations, joint replacement may be necessary.