Whenever anything is placed inside your body, you react to it. Your body reads the new piece as an intruder and forms antibodies to try to get rid of it. In this case, if bone from a donor is used, the body could reject it, causing more problems in the long run.

Sometimes, people need bone to help heal a problem or to replace lost bone. This lost bone could be due to surgery (removing a tumor and part of bone), an accident, or deterioration of a bone. Grafting can be done with other materials, but over the years, doctors and researchers have learned that in many cases, bone from the patient him or herself is often the best material to use.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a fairly new treatment technique under consideration and study for the treatment of a wide range of medical problems including after plastic surgery and surgery on the mouth, jaw, and neck. It seems to promote bone graft healing and wound healing. The benefits of this treatment have brought it to the attention of others who have tried it for spinal fusions, bone fractures, and chronic conditions like tennis elbow.

Haven't heard of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to treat sports injuries?

Fibromyalgia is a disease that is difficult to understand. Because there is no definite test for the illness, it may be hard for a doctor to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. Unfortunately, for those with fibromyalgia, there also aren't a specific set of symptoms that they can list and say "it's fibromylagia."

Fibromyalgia has a range of symptoms, from pain to fatigue to difficulty sleeping, among others. This wide variety in how it presents can make fibromyalgia a difficult-to-treat illness as there is no treatment for the illness itself, only the signs and symptoms. In addition, there are other problems that are not uncommon among people with fibromyalgia, including irritable bowel disorder and anxiety disorders.

Decreased levels of vitamin D referred to as vitamin D deficiency have long been known to cause a condition called sarcopenia (muscle weakness and wasting). Older adults with poor intestinal absorption of calcium and low levels of vitamin D are at increased risk for falls because of the weakness. If they have decreased bone density from osteoporosis (brittle bones), the falls might result in bone fractures.

Taking anticonvulsant and some other types of medication used for the treatment of tuberculosis is a known risk factor for low vitamin D levels. It seems these drugs interrupt the metabolism of vitamin D before your body can use it. The result can be decreased intestinal calcium absorption and low bone mass density, which can lead to bone fractures.

If you have watched any health-related news on TV or read the health section of your newspaper, you know that getting enough calcium for strong bones isn't enough. Now studies show that low levels of Vitamin D (deficiency) is just as important. Without sufficient vitamin D, the liver and kidneys can't help the body absorb calcium needed for bone and muscle function. How do you know you're getting enough vitamin D? That's the focus of this article in which five patient cases are highlighted.

Gout is a crystal-induced form of arthritis because of a problem with the breakdown of uric acid. Uric acid is a compound that forms when purine is metabolized (broken down) and passed out of the body through urine.