Osteomalacia.html Osteomalacia And Rickets Signs and symptoms Pain in the bones of your arms, legs, spine, and pelvis, with actual tenderness of the bones. Osteomalacia involving upper ribs. In addition to the above symptoms, a child with rickets may have bowlegs and develop a pigeon breast and a protruding stomach. Click below for larger image Osteomalacia means softening of the bones. This softening occurs from a loss of the mineral calcium from the skeleton, the bones become flexible and gradually are molded by forces, such as bearing weight, that are exerted on them.
Deformities can then result.
When Osteomalacia occurs in children, it is termed rickets. One of the two most common causes of Osteomalacia is a problem of fat malabsorption called steatorrhea. In this condition, the body is unable to absorb fats, and they are passed directly out the body in the stool. The result of this problem is that Vitamin D, which is usually absorbed with fat, and calcium are poorly absorbed. This poor absorption can be a result of digestive disorders.