Osteomalacia

• Osteomalacia: softening of the bones due to defective mineralization. 
• Mineralization: a process that causes the characteristic hardness of the bones. 
• Etiology: a deficiency of vitamin D, an essential component of mineralization, can cause osteomalacia.
• Symptoms: Boin pain, height-loss, bending, and a deformity of bones like the spine, pelvis and legs, so weight bearing. 
• Diagnosis: Blood testing for vitamin d and X-rays to look for cracks after a given amount of time in the sun and a thorough history of diets are helpful. 
• Treatment: Correction occasionally fixes the problem, which is giving 200k IU weekly for 4-6 weeks of vitamin D and an oral dose of 1.6k IU daily is usually an adequate treatment. 
• Prevention: Losing vitamin D can be prevented by exposing limbs to sunlight for 5-10 mins a day, eating vitamin D rich food, and taking vitamins supplements.