List of Skeletal System Diseases

Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects your joints, such as the knees, or a portion of your spinal column. Typical symptoms of this condition include joint pain, swelling and stiffness accompanied by a reduction in the ability to freely move your joints. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of this disease.

Bone Cancer
Bone cancer, though uncommon, is cancer that originates within a bone of your body causing bones to weaken. Individuals with bone cancer may experience fatigue, bone pain or frequent bone fractures.Though any bone can be affected by cancer, bone cancer most frequently occurs in longer bones, such as those in your legs or arms.

Leukemia
Leukemia is a form of cancer that originates in the bone marrow and affects the lymphatic system. This disease results in the formation of abnormal, malfunctioning white blood cells, which interferes with the ability of your body to fight infection. There are four major types of leukemia: acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Osteomalacia (Rickets)
Osteomalacia is a disease that leads to a softening and weakening of your bone tissue. This disease, which in children is also called rickets, is typically caused by prolonged vitamin D deficiency.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become brittle and weak due to the extensive loss of bone tissue. Though the cause of osteoporosis is poorly understood, researchers believe that the bone remodeling process that occurs in healthy individuals is interrupted in individuals with this disease. Osteoporosis also commonly results in bone fractures of the wrist, spine or hip, which can even be caused by mild stresses such as coughing.

Spina Bifida
Spina bifida is a genetic birth defect that effects the development of the spinal cord while a baby is in the uterus. When present, this defect is typically detected and treated before a baby is born. However, babies that are not treated before birth may be born with excess fluid in or around the brain. There are two major types of spina bifida: spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta.

Spinal Curvatures
There are three main types of spinal curvatures: kyphosis, hyperlordosis and scoliosis. Kyphosis---also called hunchback---is a deformity of the upper portion of the spinal column that results in severe forward bending of the spine. In children and adolescents, this condition may result from poor posture (postural kyphosis), misshapen vertebrae (Scheuermann kyphosis) or problems during fetal development (congenital kyphosis). In adults, this condition is often the result of another disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis or cancer. Hyperlordosis---also called swayback---is a condition in which the curve of the lower portion of the spine is notably pronounced. Muscle or nervous system problems are often the cause of this condition.