Summary: The Skeletal System

The skeletal system is essential to the working of the human body. It provides protection and aids with movement, also. Approximately 20% of the human body’s mass is attributed to the skeletal system. This system is mostly comprised of bones, but there are other critical elements included as well. These elements are ligaments and cartilage. The human skeletal system is divided into two parts; the axial and appendicular skeletons. The axial skeleton is further divided, from superior to inferior regions of the body, into the skull, vertebral column, and thoracic cage. This part of the skeleton is necessary for life. The skull provides protection for the brain. The vertebral column aids in holding up the head and also helps keep the spinal cord …show more content…
When an individual has rickets, the mineralization of bones does not occur. This results in the weakening of the bones. Vitamin D-deficiency rickets are one form of rickets that have very detrimental outcomes. The damage from these rickets is significant and may include low body weight or abnormal weight loss, seizures, and slowed bodily development. The levels that damage could occur range from small bodily size to fraying of some bones or even seizures. The younger the infant is the more likely they will suffer symptoms such as seizures. The older the infant is more likely they may endure failure to thrive (low body weight) or a malformed skeleton due to the weakness of the bones. These would make it difficult to function normally. Different tests can be utilized to diagnose vitamin D-deficiency (nutritional) rickets. Some laboratory tests measure the amount of calcidiol, which would decrease in a case of nutritional rickets. Tests measuring the levels of the parathyroid hormone or serum alkaline phosphatase would show an increase in those substances if the patient has nutritional rickets. Radiographic images are also taken to look at the bones. If certain things like fraying of the bones are found, the doctors will most likely suspect rickets as well. One of the treatments for nutritional rickets is an ergocalciferol oral solution. If the treatments are irradiating the rickets, one should expect to see …show more content…
One of these environmental impacts would be bed rest. One of the large impacts of bed rest is the decrease in bone mass due to the reabsorption of bone at a faster rate than was being produced. This will, over time, cause weakness in the bones. The level of damage that can occur depends on the amount of time spent in bed rest. The longer the amount of time in bed rest, the greater risk one is at for experiencing detrimental effects, such as a bone fracture. This is caused by the continual loss of bone mass. The stress on the bones that is normally there is no longer there, attributing to the bone weakness. One test that can be performed is testing the amount of fecal calcium that is excreted by the body. The more fecal calcium excreted, the greater the loss of bone mass. Tests can also be run analyzing the levels of parathyroid hormone in the individual. The smaller the amount of this hormone the individual has in his/her body means that there will eventually be bone mass loss (Steumphfle and Drury 2007). One of the treatments is to come off of bed rest as soon as possible, or attempting to do some weight bearing exercises or therapy to place some stress on the bones of the body. This will consequently increase the amount of bone growth. This will put more stress on the bones and the skeletal muscles surrounding them leading to an equilibrium between the amount of bone produced and absorbed.