Skeletal System

Cartilage is a substance that makes up fingernails and parts of the outer ear.

Cartilage is a very firm, tough, rubbery, flexible tissue that forms the skeleton of an embryo and most of the skeleton of an infant. As an infant grows, most of the cartilage is converted to bone.

Cartilage cushions bones at the joints where it acts as a shock absorber, especially in the knee and hip. In the joints, it suffers from wear and thinning as we grow older. It connects muscles to bones and forms parts of the body such as the larynx, spinal disks, outside parts of the ear, parts of the throat and parts of the nose. It has no blood vessels or nerves within it and must rely on fluid in the joint cavities to keep it lubricated.

Sclerotic Lesions are slow growing bone growths, in which a formation of the "sclerotic bone" and its surrounding area are affected. Sclerotic lesions display as a thickening of the bone. A bone can show an increased thickening due to any number of reasons and generally further medical evaluation should be done to determine why. Sclerotic lesions can show in the long bones or the spinal vertebra, but it can also show in jaw, skull, fingers…, as I will show below, it can be found in most, of the body's bones. This is caused by an increase in the deposit or calcium the affected area of the bone. Medical testing, imaging studies (i.e., x-rays, CAT scans, MRI...) can show the extent of the calcification and the area or areas involved. Additional medical studies can help determine if there is an underlying disease or medical disorder that may be the cause. Testing may also determine if a history of injury or injuries is the cause.

As I said sclerotic lesions can form in and affect any bone; it is NOT limited to the lumbar (L5) area. However, metastatic diseases, such as Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Lymphoma, Renal Osteodystrophy, and Myeloma are the most common forms of spinal malignancies, and sclerotic spinal tumors. The metastatic disease of the spine may show blastic lesions on vertebra, often appearing more ivory than white on radiographs. These and other carcinomas, cause most sclerotic metastases; the prior metastatic diseases, as well as bladder, carcinomas of Nasopharynx, Neuroblastoma, and Bronchial Carcinoid tumor may be also sclerotic. Those lesions caused by Myeloma are customarily Lytic. A Hemangioma is the most common form and cause of spinal tumor; however a hemangioma is a benign tumor.

(If you-or a family member-have a sclerotic lesion on the lumbar (L5); it may be due to any number of reasons, from an old injury to that of kidney disease/malignancy. In any case, if you are questioning its cause; you should have a bone scan to examine the vertebra and the surrounding area and bone formations further. Many of these lesions are benign, and a scan may well prove this to be so. But regardless, further testing may bring you piece of mind, and possible treatment.)

Having a bone scan for unexplained pain may be helpful, even wise. This exam can help your doctor find the cause of back or hip pain. It can help prevent additional bone damage, and it can help to diagnose and prevent the spread of cancer to other bones, your spine, hip(s), ribs… Even find the primary source of cancer if you don't know already, breast, prostate, kidney, lung, thyroid...) A bone scan can help find problems months, if not years before it becomes fatal. These tests often show what an X-ray may miss, such as a fracture of a hip or vertebra. It may even show bone fracture and infection caused by other conditions, such as Paget's disease. Discuss this exam with your doctor.

Sclerotic Lesions are generally a reaction to a progressive health disorder(s), disease(s) or injury/injuries. The following are some of the health disorders/diseases which can cause Sclerotic Lesions (not all effect the spine but some can): Osteoma (non-cancerous bone tumor); Osteosarcoma(malignant neoplasm/malignant bone tumor) or other metastatic disease(s); i.e., breast or prostate cancer (breast cancer can metastasis to the lungs or the spine and prostate cancer can metastasis to the hip or the spine); Hyperparathyroidism(causing Osteopenia and bone demineralization); McCune Albright's Syndrome/Fibrous Bone Dysplasia (a non-inherited bone disease); Paget's Disease of the bone (long-lasting chronic condition); chronic diffuse sclerosingOsteomyelitis (benign Lytic Lesions/bone tumors due to an infection of the bone cortex and the medullary portion of the bone); Hemangiomas (A hemangiomas on the spinemay be misdiagnosed as spinal multiple sclerosis. These are benign lesions that are characterized by vascular spaces lined with endothelial cells which can cause these tumors. About one-half of osseous hemangiomas are vertebral, most are found in the thoracic spine and one-fifth are found in the skull's calvarium.); Sickle Cell Anemia (This disease causes common complications that may have long-term effects on the growth of bone; but infection and infarction can take place within muscle and soft tissue, without affecting the bone.); Renal Osteodystrophy(This can show changes showing sclerosis covering the thoracic and/or lumbar vertebra on the side (or both sides) of the effected kidney, indicating metastatic disease. Lesions will show on radiographs of the spine, showing hemispherical sclerotic areas of the kidney (ies) and adjacent affected areas. If the spinal column is affected it may show narrowing of the ventral disc space.); congenital disorders - Pyknodysostosis (Osteopetrosis acro-osteolytica an unusual form causing Osteosclerosis and short stature in individuals), Osteopoikilosis aka Albers-Schonberg disease(This is a rare inherited benign condition causing sclerosing bony dysplasia with multiple enostoses on the bones.); Osteopetrosis (Which means "stone bone," is a rare inherited disorder.); vertebral compression fractures(This often shows up in the long leg bones, feet and vertebra.); bone trauma(s)/injury(ies); Fluorosis (This affects the medulla, periosteal, and prominent tendons which attach to the lumbar and pelvis.); Florid Osseous Dysplasia (t (This causes sclerotic lesions is the jawbone.), and more…