We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Below we will list the departments and units that form part of Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the main diseases that we treat. We will also make recommendations based on advice backed up by scientific evidence that has been shown to be effective in guaranteeing well-being and quality of life.
Vols saber com serà la teva estada a l’Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron? Aquí trobaràs tota la informació.
Osteomalacia is a skeletal mineralisation disorder. The bones are soft and this causes deformation and fractures, even without trauma, especially affecting the pelvis, ribs, and spinal column. In addition, it can cause pain, especially in the spinal column, pelvis, legs, and ribs, as well as weakness in the legs. In childhood, this disorder is called rickets and it can also negatively affect growth.
In order to correctly mineralise, bones need calcium and phosphate. The absorption of these substances (especially calcium) depends on vitamin D, which is synthesized in the skin using UVB rays from the sun. Thus, osteomalacia is caused by a severe deficiency in vitamin D and/or phosphate.
The main causes of a severe vitamin D deficiency are varied and include:
Another, more infrequent cause is phosphate deficiency, either congenital (such as X-linked hypophosphataemic rickets or fibrous dysplasia) or acquired (Fanconi syndrome, tumours, IV iron administration, antiretroviral therapy, etc.).
The diagnosis will be performed based on the symptoms, blood analysis, urinalysis, and X-rays.
Treatment consists of correcting the vitamin D and calcium deficiencies and also treating the causes underlying these.
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