Paget's disease of bone: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Paget's bone disease or osteitis deformans generally affects one or several bones in the human body, and may involve the bones located in the spinal column. The risk of this disease increases with age. In this post we tell you everything you need to know about Paget's disease of the bone, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for it.

What is Paget's disease of bone?

Paget's disease, also known as Paget's disease of bone or osteitis deformans, is a chronic bone disorder consisting of osteoclast involvement.

Bones generally break down and remodel, but Paget's disease involves excessive bone breakdown.

The bones most commonly affected by Paget's disease of bone are the pelvis, spine, skull, femur, and tibia.

There are two types of Paget's disease. The monostotic Paget's disease It occurs when a single place in the bone is affected by said disease, while in polyostotic disease, several places in the bones are affected by it.

The disease is common in Europe and America, although it can vary between regions. It is a disease that usually appears after 55 years of age. Additionally, Paget's disease of bone is more common in men than women.

Symptoms of Paget's disease of bone

Most people with osteitis deformans have no symptoms, although, over time, it is common to find bone pain and symptoms similar to those presented by arthritis.

In the cases of patients with symptoms, the pain is located in the area of the affected bone. Likewise, fractures can occur, generally in the hip or femur.

On the other hand, bone deformities caused by Paget's disease can be observed when walking.

Symptoms of arthritis may also appear when the damage is located near a joint, this being a complication of the condition.

When Paget's disease affects the skull, patients experience headaches and hearing loss.

In the more advanced cases of Paget's disease, an increase in the curvature of the spine is common.

When this bone disease occurs in areas such as the spine, where nerves pass through the bone, the excessive growth of the bones will compress and damage these nerves, causing pain, weakness or tingling in the arm or leg.

Causes of osteitis deformans

Paget's disease is a disease of unknown cause. It can be caused by genetic factors, or even by a viral infection.

If the patient has family members with Paget's disease of bone, the risk of this condition is more likely.

On the other hand, Environmental factors play a very important role in the Paget's disease, so temperature changes could increase the risk of suffering from this disease.

Problems that Paget's disease can cause

Paget's disease can cause various complications such as:

• Arthritis, due to increased pressure and greater wear and tear on the joints.
• Nervous system problems, because the bones can put pressure on the brain, spinal cord, or nerves.
• Heart failure, since the heart has to work to pump blood to the affected bones.
• Osteosarcoma is the most serious complication of this disease, being the most common type of cancer that originates in the bones.

Diagnosis and treatment of osteitis deformans

Bone change can be seen on x-rays, whose images can show areas of breakage, bone elongation and a bowing of the elongated bones.

Treatment of Paget's disease

To avoid complications, early treatment of this disease is recommended.

Medications such as bisphosphonates help reduce bone pain, making Paget's disease progress very slowly.

In rare cases, the patient may require surgery to align the bones that have been deformed, thus reducing the pressure on the nerves.

On the other hand, the patient must ensure eat foods rich in calcium, a very important mineral to protect bones. In addition, exercise will help maintain the mobility of the joints of the human body, as long as physical activity does not put excessive pressure on the bones that are affected.

At ICAC we have more than 10 years of experience in spine surgery using minimally invasive techniques. Our traumatologists experts in advanced spine surgery They can help solve pathologies and injuries that appear in the spine, providing you with the most effective solution to start living a life without pain.