Which condition describes bones becoming porous and brittle due to mineral loss from lack of weight bearing and calcium deficiency?

Which condition describes bones becoming porous and brittle due to mineral loss from lack of weight bearing and calcium deficiency?

• A. Osteoarthritis
• B. Osteoporosis
• C. Hemiplegia
• D. Palliative Care

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that bone density decreases when bones aren’t stimulated by weight-bearing activity and minerals like calcium aren’t available in enough amounts. When mineral loss occurs, the bone matrix becomes less dense and the bones become porous and fragile, which is the hallmark of osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities—standing, walking, and other physical stresses—signal bones to maintain or increase density, while a lack of those stresses accelerates loss. Adequate calcium (and vitamin D) is essential for bone mineralization, so deficiency contributes to weaker bones. This description doesn’t fit osteoarthritis, which is joint cartilage wear and the pain/stiffness that come with it; nor does it describe hemiplegia, which is paralysis of one side of the body; nor palliative care, which is a care approach for serious illness, not a bone disorder. In practice, recognizing osteoporosis helps guide safe lifting and transfers, fall prevention, and attention to nutrition and supplements to protect bone health.

The main idea is that bone density decreases when bones aren’t stimulated by weight-bearing activity and minerals like calcium aren’t available in enough amounts. When mineral loss occurs, the bone matrix becomes less dense and the bones become porous and fragile, which is the hallmark of osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities—standing, walking, and other physical stresses—signal bones to maintain or increase density, while a lack of those stresses accelerates loss. Adequate calcium (and vitamin D) is essential for bone mineralization, so deficiency contributes to weaker bones.

This description doesn’t fit osteoarthritis, which is joint cartilage wear and the pain/stiffness that come with it; nor does it describe hemiplegia, which is paralysis of one side of the body; nor palliative care, which is a care approach for serious illness, not a bone disorder. In practice, recognizing osteoporosis helps guide safe lifting and transfers, fall prevention, and attention to nutrition and supplements to protect bone health.