Rare Bone & Mineral Disorders
Answers to common questions about rare bone & mineral disorders.
Questions on this page
What are rare bone disorders?
Rare bone disorders include inherited conditions affecting bone formation, mineralization, calcium-phosphate metabolism or skeletal development.
What is hypophosphatemic rickets?
Hypophosphatemic rickets is a group of disorders characterized by low phosphate availability and abnormal bone mineralization.
Can rickets be genetic?
Yes. Some forms of rickets are inherited genetic disorders, while others are caused by nutritional deficiency or acquired medical conditions.
What is osteogenesis imperfecta?
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a group of inherited disorders characterized primarily by increased bone fragility.
Why does my child have repeated fractures?
Repeated fractures can have many causes. When fractures occur with minimal trauma or there are other skeletal features, evaluation for bone fragility disorders may be appropriate.
What is hypophosphatasia?
Hypophosphatasia is a rare inherited disorder involving abnormal bone and tooth mineralization due to low activity of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase.
Can rare bone diseases be treated?
Some rare bone disorders have specific treatments. Management depends on the precise diagnosis.