Osteoporosis is a medical condition that makes bones weak, culminating to their brittleness. Osteomalacia also called “soft bone,” is a medical condition where bones become brittle; it is mostly associated with a deficiency of Vitamin D and is common in kids and pregnant women alike. (Bullock et al., 2018). Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks an individual’s joints all over the body. Rheumatoid arthritis if left untreated can have adverse effects on the patient, like causing paralysis or full tissue damage (Bullock et al., 2018.) Gout is a systemic disease that results from the build-up of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in tissues in the body (Plebańczyk et al., 2018). Gout is treatable with proper medication. Osteoarthritis is a chronic, degenerative disorder of unknown cause and is characterized by gradual loss of cartilage.
Signs and Symptoms
During the onset of osteoporosis, it lacks symptoms symptoms may start appearing after the bones have been made weak (Davaris et al., 2021). After some time, the patient may start experiencing symptoms such as back pains, gradual loss height loss, stooped body frame, and fragile bones (Plebańczyk et al., 2018). In its early stages, osteomalacia never shows any symptoms. After the bones soften, Osteomalacia will present itself through the following symptoms; joint pains and bone pains, easy breaking of bones especially those in the hips, lower back, and feet, muscle pains and feeling of weakness after an exercise, and difficulty in leg movement thus changing how you walk.
Rheumatoid Arthritis has good and bad periods, good periods when symptoms get better and bad periods when symptoms worsen. Some of these symptoms may include; swelling in the joints, body fatigue, loss of body weight, fevers, and chest pains (Bullock et al., 2018). Gout has episodes where it attacks the patient. Gout attacks happen suddenly and are very painful. During the attack, symptoms in the joints may include; swelling, stiffness, massive pain, burning sensation on the joint, tenderness on the joint, and redness in the affected joint (Davaris et al., 2021). In osteoarthritis, symptoms tend to develop gradually as they become worse with time. Some of these symptoms may include; pain in the joints during movement, tenderness of the joint, burning sensation on the joint, swelling on the joint, and joints may become stiff.
Pathophysiology
Osteoporosis is a good example of a disease with a compounded interchange of genetic, intrinsic, exogenous, and lifestyle factors contributing to a person’s risk factor for the disease. Customary pathophysiologic models often emphasized hormonal mechanisms (Davaris et al., 2021) Osteomalacia is characterized by a lack of mineralization of bone without a loss in bone matrix. It may be caused by a lack of phosphorus, calcium, or Vitamin D (Plebańczyk et al., 2018). While the underlying pathophysiology is unknown for tumor-induced osteomalacia, it is thought that humeral factors produced by the tumor affect phosphate reabsorption by the renal proximal tubule.
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the presence of auto-antibodies called rheumatoid factors (RF) and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA), which include the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody/anti-CCP (Siwela et al., 2022). Rheumatoid factors have long been recognized as a characteristic of many patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Gout is inflammatory arthritis that occurs in response to the deposition of MSU crystals, the end product of human purine metabolism, in joints, soft tissues, and bones. It may manifest as a gout flare (acute arthritis), chronic gouty arthritis (chronic arthritis), tophaceous gout (tophi), renal functional impairment, and urolithiasis (Plebańczyk et al., 2018) The soluble inflammatory, cellular, and innate immune processes and characteristics of MSU crystals themselves promote the acute inflammatory response. Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joint affecting the entire joint, cartilage, bone, and joint lining. Lifestyle, age, joint injury, and genetics can all contribute to osteoarthritis and cause the breaking down of cartilage in the joints. This can lead to inflammation and changes in the bones and joint tissues. People with osteoarthritis may experience joint pain, stiffness, and reduced flexibility.
Etiology
Osteoporosis is caused by a lack of calcium, a decrease in estrogen in women at the time of menopause, and a decrease in testosterone in men as they age. It also occurs due to deficiency of Vitamin D (Siwela et al., 2022). Rheumatoid Arthritis is caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue. Gout is caused by a condition called hyperuricemia, which is associated with too much uric acid in the body (Plebańczyk et al., 2018). Osteoarthritis is caused by the gradual deterioration of the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in the joints.
Possible Complications
Osteoporosis’s possible complications may include; reduced body movement, persistent back pain, and loss of height. Osteomalacia’s possible complications include; kidney failure, disability, seizures, and bone fracture. (Davaris et al., 2021). Rheumatoid Arthritis’s possible complications include drying in the eyes and mouth, lung failure, and heart failure. Gout possible complications include; kidney failure and damage to the joint (Bullock et al., 2018). Osteoarthritis is linked to various possible complications, including internal bleeding in the joint area, alongside rupture of tendons and ligaments at the joint.
Treatments
Osteoporosis treatment is based on the risk of the patient breaking a bone in the next 10 years. It is treated using bisphosphonates, denosumab, hormone-related therapy, and teriparatide medications (Plebańczyk et al., 2018). Osteomalacia patients can take Vitamin D and Calcium/Phosphate supplements. Rheumatoid arthritis treatments include change of lifestyle, surgery, and over-the-counter medication. Gout is associated with various treatment measures, including taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine, and corticosteroid medications (Siwela et al., 2022). Osteoarthritis medications include; acetaminophen, duloxetine (Cymbalta), therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and surgery.
References
Bullock, J., Rizvi, S., Saleh, A., Ahmed, S., Do, D., Ansari, R., & Ahmed, J. (2018). Rheumatoid arthritis: A brief overview of the treatment. Medical Principles and Practice, 27(6), 501-507. Web.
Davaris, M., Dowsey, M., Bunzli, S., & Choong, P. (2021). Arthroplasty information on the internet: Quality or quantity? Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 29, S218. Web.
Plebańczyk, M., Radzikowska, A., Burakowski, T., Janicka, I., Musiałowicz, U., Kornatka, A., Maśliński, W., & Kontny, E. (2018). Different secretory activity of articular and subcutaneous adipose tissues from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. Inflammation, 42(1), 375-386. Web.
Siwela, L., Khan, N., & Mudau, A. (2022). A radiological assessment of the prevalence of osteoporosis in male patients seen in a South African hospital: A retrospective analysis. Journal of Osteoporosis, 2022, 1-6. Web.