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All About Your Bones and Joints

Bones and joints problems are extremely common and are a major cause of reduced activity and disability. These problems can range from congenital deformities, fractures, diseases such as various types of arthritides, to degenerative conditions.

Although problems of the bones and joints become more common as we get older, all age groups, even the very young, are not immune to it.

Children

In the very young, injuries are the most common bones and joints condition. However, changes in children’s bones due to growth makes diagnosing paediatric fractures in children’s bones challenging. Therefore, there is often a need for repeated reviews to ensure that this is not missed. Bone conditions associated with congenital conditions, such as metabolic conditions of the bone, and infections can also aff ect young children.

Adolescents

In the adolescent age group into the early adult years, injuries of the bones and joints remain the most common. Injuries include not only fractures of the bones, dislocations of joints, and soft tissue injuries due to acute injuries, but also stress injuries of the bone and soft tissue due to repetitive actions as the result of sport or work activities.

Middle Age to Elderly

For the middle-aged adult to the elderly, degenerative bones and joints conditions become progressively common. Degenerative conditions involve the bone and soft tissues mainly around the joints as the result of wear and tear over the years. Bone and joint problems resulting from complications of other diseases also becomes increasingly common. Common examples include diabetic foot infections, and gout. Injuries, however, remain common in older adult patients, especially the elderly. In the elderly, injuries can often arise because of poor eyesight, and deteriorating muscle strength and co-ordination.

Bone Tumours

While bone tumours are uncommon, these often aff ect the young and older patients. In the young, the problem normally involves primary bone tumours. In older patients, metastatic disease from primary tumours in other parts of the body is most common. Of course, tumours can occur in any age group, male or female. However, certain tumours are more common in some age groups, and others have certain predisposition to gender.

In conclusion, a wide range of bone and joint conditions can aff ect the human body, with some conditions more common in certain age groups. Early intervention can not only prevent further worsening of the problem, it can also help reduce the pain and discomfort for you. So seek medical advice from your doctor if you have any doubts or indications of any problems.