Renal Osteodystrophy

Osteoporosis Slideshow

• What is renal osteodystrophy?
• Hormones and Minerals
• How is renal osteodystrophy diagnosed?
• How is osteodystrophy treated?
• For more information about renal osteodystrophy

What is renal osteodystrophy?

The medical term "renal" describes things related to the kidneys. Renal osteodystrophy is a bone disease that occurs when your kidneys fail to maintain the proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. It's a common problem in people with kidney disease and affects 90 percent of dialysis patients.

Renal osteodystrophy is most serious in children because their bones are still growing. The condition slows bone growth and causes deformities. One such deformity occurs when the legs bend inward toward each other or outward away from each other; this deformity is referred to as "renal rickets." Another important consequence is short stature. Symptoms can be seen in growing children with renal disease even before they start dialysis.

The bone changes from renal osteodystrophy can begin many years before symptoms appear in adults with kidney disease. For this reason, it's called the "silent crippler." The symptoms of renal osteodystrophy aren't usually seen in adults until they have been on dialysis for several years. Older patients and women who have gone through menopause are at greater risk for this disease because they're already vulnerable to osteoporosis, another bone disease, even without kidney disease. If left untreated, the bones gradually become thin and weak, and a person with renal osteodystrophy may begin to feel bone and joint pain. There's also an increased risk of bone fractures.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• calcium supplement with vitamin D-oral, Citracal + D, Os-Cal, Oyster Shell + D - Consumer information about the medication CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT WITH VITAMIN D - ORAL (Citracal + D, Os-Cal, Oyster Shell + D), includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT WITH VITAMIN D - ORAL.
• Dialysis - Dialysis is a procedure that performs many of the normal duties of the kidneys, like filtering waste products from the blood, when the kidneys no longer work adequately. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
• Kidney Failure - Learn about kidney failure, in which the body has fluid retention, risen blood pressure, toxin build up and lack of red blood cells. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, and apetite loss.

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