How to treat osteophyte growth?

Written by Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
Updated on September 09, 2024
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Bone hyperplasia mostly occurs in people over the age of 45, with symptoms becoming more apparent as age increases. It represents degenerative, hyperplastic, and aging changes in bone. Bone hyperplasia commonly affects major joints such as the cervical spine, lumbar spine, knee joint, heel, etc. Radiographic examinations are typically used to clearly diagnose the location of hyperplasia, which characteristically shows pointed changes on X-rays, and may stimulate surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and muscles to varying degrees. In cases like the knee joint, it is prone to synovitis, and symptoms become more noticeable when walking, climbing, or descending stairs. Upon diagnosis, treatment may involve anti-bone hyperplasia medications, and strict bed rest is recommended to avoid vigorous exercise. Application of local heat to the joints, and performing some traction treatments on the cervical or lumbar spine can help restore the normal physiological curvature of the spine and effectively alleviate symptoms.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
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Is calcium supplementation effective for bone proliferation?

Strictly speaking, bone hyperplasia is not a disease diagnosis but rather a radiographic manifestation of a condition, as seen in some middle-aged and elderly individuals or patients who have engaged in heavy physical labor for a long time. If such individuals were to undergo an X-ray, it would definitely show clear signs of bone hyperplasia. However, this bone hyperplasia does not necessarily cause symptoms. If the patient does not experience symptoms, then there is no need to treat the bone hyperplasia. Additionally, calcium supplementation does not have a therapeutic effect on bone hyperplasia. Once the bone has hyperplasia, it cannot be eliminated or gradually degraded by taking medication or calcium supplements; this expectation is unrealistic. Therefore, calcium supplementation has no significant effect on bone hyperplasia.

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Written by Zhang Ying Peng
Orthopedics
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At what age does bone hyperplasia occur?

Bone hyperplasia occurs around the age of 30, after the body has completely stopped developing. Bone hyperplasia often occurs in joints and is caused by repetitive pulling of bones by tendons and ligaments, resulting in minor bone damage followed by a protective response. Generally, there are no obvious symptoms for bone hyperplasia and it does not require treatment. No non-surgical methods can eliminate bone hyperplasia; only in cases where the bone hyperplasia is particularly large and affects the joints or daily life, surgical methods to remove bone spurs may be considered.

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Cervical vertebral hyperplasia surgical methods

In clinical practice, for patients with severe cervical spondylosis, such as those showing clear compression of the spinal nerves, exhibiting numbness, weakness, and pain in one or both arms, instability in walking, a sensation of stepping on cotton, or even abnormal urination and defecation, it is necessary to actively pursue surgical treatment. The surgery usually requires general anesthesia and involves the removal of the intervertebral disc, enlargement and decompression of the spinal canal, and vertebral interbody fusion with internal fixation. This should suffice. After the surgery, it is necessary to wear a neck brace for protection for about a month and a half, after which the neck brace can be removed to allow for appropriate activities.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Causes of lumbar vertebral hyperostosis

The first reason is aging of the human body. As the body ages, the lumbar spine inevitably exhibits degenerative changes due to wear and tear from movement, and the majority of people over 60 show the formation of bone spurs in X-ray images. The second reason is injury caused by overexertion. Overexertion, due to excessive workload and excessive activity, aggravates the degeneration of the lumbar spine, leading to the formation of bone spurs. The third reason is a history of trauma. Trauma to the lumbar area during one's youth can lead to bone proliferation in the lumbar spine in middle and old age. The fourth reason is improper posture. Bone proliferation in the lumbar spine in young patients is mainly due to maintaining the same posture for long periods, improper posture, and sleeping on soft beds, all of which can lead to bone proliferation over time. These are the main reasons for bone proliferation in the lumbar spine currently observed in clinical settings.

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Written by Kuang Tao
Orthopedics
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Can bone hyperplasia be treated by supplementing calcium?

Patients with bone hyperplasia are generally elderly, and elderly patients often also have osteoporosis. Treating osteoporosis definitely requires calcium supplementation. Therefore, patients with bone hyperplasia can generally be given calcium supplements. However, this calcium supplementation treats osteoporosis, not bone hyperplasia. Bone hyperplasia and osteoporosis are two different diseases, but they are related, and many elderly people have both conditions simultaneously. Thus, many patients with bone hyperplasia can benefit from calcium supplementation.