Skeleton In The Closet: Breaks, Joints, Blood Cancer and The Danger of Osteoporosis

This is the second post in a two part series on the Skeletal System. Read Part 1 (Your Inner Framework).

Ever broken a bone? Goodness it hurts, but are they not amazing in the way that they heal?! They are literally stronger in the place that was broken then they were before. While broken bones may be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of things that can go wrong with the skeletal system, this system plays a much greater role in our wellbeing. The blood cancers begin in the bone marrow. There are many autoimmune disorders that affect this system like rheumatoid arthritis, as well as, joint disorders like tendonitis.

Breaks and Fractures

Bones have to be one of the greatest examples (maybe next to your skin) of your body’s ability to heal. Did you know that when a bone heals that place is actually stronger than it was before? When a bone is broken (fun fact: break and fracture mean the same thing) your body immediately launches a response to heal the area. The response begins with the formation of a blood clot to stabilize the area as a result of your body’s inflammatory response within your immune system. Your body will then clean out the damaged cells, generate new bone growth and close the broken area. Depending on the location and severity of the break it may only require a splint or it may require surgery. If the break causes the bone to come through the skin the risk for infection is also much greater.

Osteoporosis is a common condition that occurs as we age. When your body is no longer able to create new bone cells as quickly as it loses bone cells they begin to weaken. This means that as you get older a simple fall or stress on your bones can cause them to break. While the deterioration of bone is not preventable there are many steps that can be taken in a person’s youth that can set them up for “bone strength success” as they age. There are also steps that can be taken to help mitigate the loss of bone and to take precautions once you are older. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider during your appointments about steps that are right for you depending on your age and risk for developing osteoporosis. It is also recommended to get a bone density scan for women over the age of 65, men and younger women may vary on when testing is recommended depending on their symptoms and family history. Even if you have never had a problem with bone fractures this test can help to give a baseline of your bone health, this is valuable information as well as a great baseline to compare to if you do develop problems later in life.

I want to mention that a broken bone can be a significant change in life trajectory for an older adult. If you have an older loved one who has had an injury I encourage you to be very involved in their care and in communication with their healthcare team. This can often be a big determinate on if they continue to thrive after the injury or end up with a much lower mobility and outlook on life.

Joint Disorders: Injury, Tendonitis, Arthritis and Gout

As we learned in the previous post the skeletal system is made up of much more than just our bones. Each joint in our body allows us movement through the use of ligaments and tendons. When someone has a “sprain” this means that the injury is to the area where their bones come together and it is their connective tissues rather than their actual bone that is injured. The initial healing process can resolve within a few weeks however the structural healing can take months to years to complete the healing process. This leads to the possibility of re-injuring the area. Many times a longer term solution for sprains can be to strengthen the muscles around the joint to help with stabilization and to reduce the chance of re-injuring the area. Talk to your healthcare team to come up with a plan if you have injured a joint.

What about pain in a joint that wasn’t the result of a specific injury like a sprain? This type of pain is generally either tendonitis and bursitis or arthritis. Tendonitis and bursitis are caused when inflammation occurs in the tissues around a joint. Tendons are the tissues that connect the muscle to the bone while bursa is a structure that protects structures like tendons from rubbing against the bone in certain joints. When these become injured and inflamed it can be very painful to move the joint. Osteoarthritis is when the inflammation is occurring in the actual joint. This often occurs due to repetitive motions over time which is what makes it different from Rheumatoid Arthritis which is when your body is mistakenly attacking cells within your joint. Another form of arthritis is Gout. Gout is caused by the buildup of a toxin called uric acid in your body, this causes sharp crystals to build up in your joints and it is extremely painful.

Blood Cancers

All blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. This means that any cancers within the marrow that affects blood cell formation will affect your whole body. These are three of the most common types of blood cancers:

• Leukemia: Unlike other cancers where you see a mass form within a tissue, Leukemia happens within your bone marrow. Almost all of your body’s blood cells are created within your bone marrow. When a person has leukemia their body produces a mutated form of a normal blood cell, usually your white blood cells. These cells do not behave like normal cells and they continue to multiply until there isn’t enough room in the bone marrow to create healthy blood cells.

• Lymphoma: Your immune system utilizes a white blood cell called a lymphocyte to make antibodies and destroy infected cells. Lymphoma causes abnormal lymphocytes, these abnormal cells continue to replicate within a person’s lymphatic system at an uncontrolled rate. They can build up within a person’s lymph nodes and cause a tumor. There are many different types of lymphoma depending on which type of lymphocyte is impacted (B cell or T cell) and how it affects the lymphatic system.

• Myeloma occurs within the plasma of your blood and works similarly to leukemia and lymphoma as abnormal white blood cells are formed and then replicate to the point that normal cells cannot be formed.