Rickets from a dietary lack of these minerals is rare because calcium and phosphorous are present in milk and green vegetables. Hereditary rickets is a vitamin D-resistant form of rickets caused when the kidney is unable to retain phosphate. It is an inherited, sex-linked disorder. Rickets may also be caused by kidney disorders involving renal tubular acidosis. The acidic condition of the body causes the calcium in the bones to dissolve, leaving soft, weak bones.
Renal osteodystrophy occurs in people with chronic renal failure.
The manifestation is virtually identical to that of rickets in children, and that of osteomalacia or osteoporosis in adults. This may require dietary supplements in people with associated gastrointestinal or other disorders. Renal causes of vitamin D should be treated promptly. Levels of calcium and phosphorous should be monitored regularly in people with renal disorders. Serum calcium and serum phosphorus may be low.