The density of bones is a consideration in osteopetrosis, osteosclerosis and osteoporosis.
Low bone density---osteoporosis---is a common and serious medical condition that often accompanies aging. It can increase the likelihood of bone fractures and place the sufferer at greater risk in the event of a fracture. Much less common are conditions characterized by high-density bones. Rare medical conditions cause high bone density and some studies seek the causes of high bone density in order to find new ways to combat osteoporosis.
Misconceptions
Because of the overwhelming emphasis on osteoporosis in the medical community, high bone density tends to go understudied and unrecognized, according to Michael P. Whyte of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In a 2004 study published in the Journal of Clinical Densitometry, Whyte noted that the World Health Organization has not placed an upper limit on the normal category for bone mass density, or BMD, a common measure of bone health. Anyone over a certain level of bone density is categorized as normal. Whyte argued that this method of measurement puts individuals with high bone density at risk for missed diagnosis.
Identification
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the only way to measure bone density is by a machine that uses X-rays, ultrasound, radio waves or photons. Once a technician measures your BMD, the results are typically sent to your doctor, who can interpret them for you.
Types
According to the University of Michigan, high bone density is often correlated with body mass. Individuals who are heavier or have lots of muscle mass are likely to have denser bones. High bone density in individuals with normal weight may have a genetic basis. According to Yale Medicine, doctors at Yale University identified unusually dense bones in several members of a Connecticut family. The family had very low incidences of bone fractures.
Osteopetrosis
Osteopetrosis is a category of rare genetic disorder. Individuals with osteopetrosis will show areas of higher bone density in X-rays. In most people, bones grow continuously, and are also constantly reabsorbed, ensuring that they are of a consistent density and size. According to the Encyclopedia of Children's Health online, in cases of osteopetrosis, the bones grow but are not properly reabsorbed, so while they are denser, they are also porous and fragile.
Osteosclerosis
Osteosclerosis is another category of disorder that manifests as dense areas of bone. Roger Smith and B. Paul Wordsworth, authors of "Clinical and Biochemical Disorders of the Skeleton," define osteosclerosis as an overproduction of new bone, although they note that medical professionals use the terms osteopetrosis and osteosclerosis interchangeably. According to the Merck Manual Online Medical Library, some genetic expressions of osteosclerosis are specific to certain areas of the skeleton, such as the skull or long bones. Localized areas of dense bone may also result from injury, infection or chronic inflammation.
Research
Medical researchers have studied people with unusually high bone density in order to unlock some of the secrets behind how their bodies work. This information could be of great benefit to those with osteoporosis. In a 2002 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Yale researchers who studied the Connecticut family with high bone density identified a genetic mutation that increased the rate at which their bodies formed bone.
Risks
There may be some medical risks associated with high bone density in some individuals. A 2008 study by Zhao Chen of the University of Arizona reported a possible link between high bone density and breast cancer. MaryFran Sowers, an epidemiologist with the University of Michigan, reported a 1996 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showing a connection between high bone density in overweight women with higher rates of osteoarthritis.
Tags: bone density, high bone, high bone density, high bone, high bone density, with high
