Osteology - what is that?
Osteology (Greek: osteon = bone, logos = teaching) is the study of bones and a branch of medicine. Osteologists are medical specialists who specialise in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. They are often orthopaedists or trauma surgeons, who undergo additional training at with a focus on bone structure, development and health. Osteologists work closely with other specialists, for example from the fields of radiology and endocrinology
What do osteologists do?
The tasks of osteologists include the treatment of bone diseases (e.g. osteoporosis). Osteologists also advise on prevention by including the topics of nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes.
Carrying out diagnostic tests such as bone density measurements (DXA scans) to diagnose osteoporosis is just as much a part of the specialist field of osteology as the treatment of osteoarthritis, bone infections and bone tumours. Other diseases that are treated by osteologists include:
- Osteoarthritis (arthrosis): Joint disease in which the cartilage mass of the joints gradually decreases.
- Osteomalacia: Softening of the bones due to metabolic demineralisation.
- Fractures in patients with metabolic bone disorders: Specialised treatment of fractures caused by bone diseases.
- Osteogenesis imperfecta: Brittle bone disease, a genetic disorder that leads to brittle bones.
- Bone tumours: Both benign and malignant tumours that affect bone tissue.
- Hyperparathyroidism: A hormonal disorder in which the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone, which increases bone loss.
- Osteonecrosis: Death of bone tissue, often as a result of interruption of the blood supply.
