Skeletal Diseases:

1. Types of Fractures (and their causes)

A fracture is breakage of a bone; this breakage may be complete or incomplete.

The following table summarizes six types of fracture.

1. Simple
A clean break of the bone with little or no break in the overlying skin.

2. Greenstick
An incomplete break of the bone in which part of the outer shell (cortex) remains intact. 
This occurs particularly in children, who have more flexible bones than adults.

3. Compound (also known as "Open")

A broken bone that pierces the overlying skin.

4. Cominuted
A fracture in which the bone is broken into more than two pieces.
A crushing force is usually responsible and there is extensive injury to surrounding soft tissues is
common.

5. Impacted
A fracture in which the bones involved are driven into each other.

6. Complicated
A broken bone that also involves damage to other organs - in addition to broken Bone(s) and
possibly also broken skin. An example is a broken rib that punctures a lung.

2. Postural Deformities
1. Kyphosis
Excessive outward curvature of the spine, causing hunching of the back.

2. Lordosis
Inward curvature of the spine.
Some lordosis in the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine is normal.
Exaggerated lordosis may occur in adolescence - possibly as a result of faulty posture, or due to
disease affecting the vertebrae and spinal muscles.

3. Scoliosis
Lateral (sideways) deviation of the spine.
Scoliosis may be caused by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the vertebrae, muscles, and/or
nerves.
Treatment may involve the use of spinal braces and, in cases of severe deformity. surgical
correction by fusion or osteotomy.

 
3. Other Skeletal Conditions (and their causes and effects)
Condition   Cause    Effect

Arthritis   Over 200 diseases may cause arthritis,   Swelling, warmth, redness of the overlying
including: skin, pain, restriction of motion.
Inflammation of    osteoarthritis
one or more  rheumatoid arthritis
joints  gout
 tuberculosis, and other infections.

Osteo Arthritis   Osteo-arthritis is due to wear of the   The joints are painful and stiff with
Degenerative articulatory cartilage, and may lead to restricted movement. Osteoarthritis is
joint disease secondary changes in the underlying recognized on X-ray by narrowing of the
  bone. joint space (due to loss of cartilage) and the
  It may be primary, or it may occur presence of osteophytes, osteosclerosis, and
  secondarily to abnormal load to the joint cysts in the bone.
or damage to the cartilage from
inflammation or trauma.

Rheumatoid   Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease of the   As the disease progresses the ligaments
Arthritis synovial lining of joints: The joints are supporting the joints are damaged and there
(The second initially painful, swollen, and stiff and is erosion of the bone, leading to deformity
most common are usually affected symmetrically.  of the joints. Tendon sheaths can be
form of (Onset can be at any age, and these is affected, leading to tendon rupture.
arthritis, after considerable risk of severity. Women
osteo arthritis) are at greater risk. Rheumatoid arthritis
  is an autoimmune disease, and most
  patients show presence of rheumatoid
  factor in their serum*.)

Bone Cancer   Bone cancer may occur as a secondary   Damage to stem cells (the cause of
  cancer from, for example, prostate leukaemia).
cancer

Gout   Gout is caused by a defect in uric acid   Gout can result in attacks of acute gouty
  balance in the metabolism - resulting in arthritis, chronic destruction of the joints,
  an excess of the acid and its salts and deposits of urates (tophi) in the skin
  (urates) which then accumulate in the and cartilage - especially of the ears. 
bloodstream and joints, respectively. The excess urates also damage the kidneys,
in which stones may form.

Osteoporosis   Infection, injury and synovitis can cause   Bones that are brittle and liable to fracture.
Loss of bone localized osteoporosis of adjacent bone.
tissue. Generalised osteoporosis is common in
  the elderly, and in women often follows
  the menopause. It is also a feature of
  Cushing's disease and prolonged steroid
  therapy.
Rickets   Rickets is a childhood condition caused   Bow legs.
Childhood by insufficient vitamin D and Calcium
disease
 
 

* Serum (blood serum) is similar to blood plasma except that it lacks fibrinogen and some other
substances that are used in the coagulation process.
Here are some tips for Skeletal Vitality

 Exercise: walk, jog, cycle, it's all good for you!

 Consume at least 1000mg of calcium a day (adolescents 1200-1500 mg per day)!
It should also be noted that Vitamin D increases the absorption of Calcium into your bones.
 Make sure your diet includes: zinc, copper and manganese (these can also be attained through
vitamin supplements!)