Pathoma - Musculoskeletal Pathology Flashcards
What is Achondroplasia?
Disorder of cartilage proliferation in the growth plate
What causes achondroplasia?
activating sporadic mutation in FGFR3 –> turning on receptor inhibits the growth of the cartilage
inheritance of achondroplasia
- autosomal dominant
- related to increase paternal age
clinical features of achondroplasia
- short extremities with normal sized head and chest
- mental function, life span and fertility are not affected
Why does achondroplasia only affect the short extremities?
- two ways of bone formation: intramembranous from CT forms bones of skull, chest and flat bones of wrists. Endochondral forms from cartilage matrix that mineralizes and forms bone = growth of long bone
what is osteogenesis imperfecta?
congenital defect of imperfect formation of bone
inheritance of osteogenesis imperfecta
autosomal dominant
clinical features of osteogenesis imperfecta
- weak bone –> multiple fractures
- multiple fractures
- blue sclera
- hearing loss
cause of osteogenesis imperfecta
defect in formation of type 1 collagen synthesis
why do patients with osteogenesis imperfect have hearing loss and blue sclera?
- hearing loss = small bones in ear lacking type 1 collagen
- blue sclera = sclera has type 1 collagen. loss of that exposes choroid veins
what is osteopetrosis?
inherited defect of bone resorption
cause of osteopetrosis
- due to poor osteoclast fxn.
- multiple genetic variants
- E.g. carbonic anhydrase 2 mutation = lack of acidic environment needed to remove calcium in order to resorb bone.
- CA joins water and CO2 to form bicarbonate acid. This splits into acid and bicarb.
clinical features of osteopetrosis?
thick, heavy bone that fractures easily = no balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts
- anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia with EMH
- vision and hearing impairment
- hydrocephalus
- renal tubular acidosis
xray of osteopetrosis
see a completely thickened bone = white instead of having a middle dark space where the medulla would be seen
any do you get pancytopenia with osteopetrosis
myelophthisic process = thickening of the bone which replaces out medullary space which knocks out hematopoiesis with estramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen and the liver
why do patients with osteopetrosis get hydrocephalus, vision and hearing impairment?
- hydrocephalus = thickening of the bone at the foramen magnum
- thickening of the skull compresses cranial nerves as they exit the skull
why do patients get renal tubular acidosis?
lack of CA = no formation and split of bicarb acid. You do not excrete acid and you do not get a net gain of bicarb sent back into the blood to balance acid. So people get acidemia as a result of a proximal tubular defect of not having CA.
Treatment of osteopetrosis?
bone marrow transplant –> give back ability to make normal monocytes from hematopoesis = make normal osteoclasts.
Rickets and osteomalacia
Defective mineralization of osteoid
- due to low levels of vitamin D
- NB: osteoblasts lay down osteoid which is then mineralized by calcium and phosphate. Because there is not vitamin D which works of the kidney, intestine and bone to maintain the calcium and phosphate in the blood.
how does a vitamin D deficiency develop?
decreased sun exposure, poor diet, malabsorption (fat soluble), liver failure and renal failure (needed for activating vitamin D)
clinical features of rickets
- in children - usually by age 1
- pigeon breast deformity, frontal bossing from osteoid deposition on the skull, rachitic rosary from osteoid deposition at the costo-chondro junction which feels like beeds (rosary) and bowing of legs as they grow from the growth plate
- all caused by abnormal mineralization and depositon of osteoid
clinical features of osteomalacia
- in adults
- results in weak bone with increased risk of fracture
- low serum calcium, low serum phosphate, high PTH and high alkaline phosphate
pathogenesis of weak bone in osteomalacia
weak bone = osteoclasts remove bone, the blasts lay down osteoid but it cannot be mineralized. Leads to increase risk of fracture in weight bearing areas like the vertebral bodies or the hip
pathogenesis of abnormal lab values in osteomalacia
- calcium and phos are low because of lack of vit. D
- PTH is up because there is low calcium
- alkaline phosphate = active when osteoblasts need to lay down bone because it created an alkaline environment so the calcium can be incorporated
what is osteoporosis
- loss/reduction of trabeculae bone mass
- resulting in porous bone with risk of fracture
How is the risk of osteoporosis related to bone mass?
risk of osteoporosis is based on peak bone mass achieved by the age of 30 (early adulthood) and the rate of bone loss thereafter.
What are the determinants of peak bone mass?
1) genetic e.g. variants of vitamin D receptor 2) diet 3) exercise
What determines the loss of bone mass?
Bone mass is lost after age 30 at slightly less than 1% per year. Bone mass is lost more quickly with lack of weight bearing exercise (eg space travel), poor diet or decreased estrogen (postmenopausal).
What are the most common forms of osteoporosis?
senile and postmenopausal
What are the clinical features of osteoporosis?
- bone pain and fractures in weight bearing areas like vertebra, hip and distal radius. See loss of height and kyphosis.
- bone density loss (studied by DEXA scan)
- serum calcium, phosphate, PTH and alkaline phosphate are normal
How do labs distinguish between osteoporosis and osteomalacia?
Calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphate and PTH are normal in osteoporosis. Calcium and phosphate are low in osteomalacia but PTH and alkaline phosphate are high.
What is the treatment for osteoporosis?
exercise, vitamin D, calcium –> limit bone loss
bisphophonates –> induce apoptosis of osteoclasts
estrogen replacement therapy is debated and not recommended.
Glucocorticoids are contraindicated.
What is paget disease of the bone?
imbalance between osteoclast and osteoblast function
- usually seen in late adulthood (greater than 60 years)
what is the etiology of paget disease?
unknown, possibly viral
what is the pattern of involvement of paget disease?
localized process involving one or more bones; does not involve the entire skeleton
What are the stages of paget disease?
- osteoclastic 2. mixed osteoblastic and osteoclastic 3. osteoblastic.
End result if a thick, sclerotic bone that fractures easily
Describe the bone biopsy of a patient with paget disease?
mosaic pattern of lamellar bone
What are the clinical features of paget disease of the bone?
- bone pain due to microfractures
- hearing loss due to impingement of cranial nerves
- increasing size of hat –> skull is commonly involved
- lion like faces –> involved craniofacial bones
- isolated elevation of alkaline phosphate –> paget disease is the most common cause of isolated elevation of alkaline phosphate in adults over age 40.
What is the treatment for paget disease?
- calcitonin - inhibits osteoclast function
2. bisphophonates - induces apoptosis of osteoclasts
What are the potential complication of paget disease?
- high output cardiac failure - due to formation of AV shunts in bone
- osteosarcoma
What is osteomyelitis?
infection of the marrow and bone
usually occurs in children
What are the most common etiology of osteomyelitis?
- most commonly bacterial; arises via hematogenous spread
= transient bacteremia (children) seeds metaphysis of long bones in the region of most rapid growth and vascularity. Involves, in order of frequency, the lower end of the femur, the upper end of the tibia and humerus, and the radius.
= open-wound bacteremia (adults) seeds epiphysis; e.g. vertebrae which are generally highly vascular. Hematogenous spread can occur by way of the nutrient branches of the spinal artery or by flow from the pelvic veins to the lumbar veins and, under conditions of increased abdominal pressure, retrograde flow through the paravertebral venous plexus of Batson
What are the common causes of osteomyelitis?
- Staph. aureus - most common cause (90%)
- N. gonorrhoeae - sexually active young adults
- salmonella - sickle cell disease
- pseudomonas - diabetics or IV drugs abusers
- pasteurella - associated with cat or dog bite/scratches
- mycobacterium tuberculosis - usually involves vertebrae (pott disease)
what are the clinical features of osteomyelitis?
- bone pain with systemic signs of infection (e.g. fevere and leukocytosis)
- lytic focus (abscess) surrounded by sclerosis of bone on x-ray; lytic focus is called sequestrum, and sclerosis is called involucrum
How is diagnosis of osteomyelitis made?
by blood culture
what is avascular (aseptic) necrosis?
ischemic necrosis of bone and marrow