What Are the Causes of Frequent Bone Fractures?

A bone fracture is a crack in the bone. It causes pain, swelling and bruising due to internal bleeding. The pain may make it difficult for the injured area to move or bear any weight. Many people never experience a fracture, but others have diseases that cause frequent bone fractures.

Physical Trauma

• The most common cause of fractures is physical trauma. Fractures caused by trauma can happen to anyone, but they are most common in people who play full-contact sports. Children also tend to fracture bones frequently because they run around more than adults do.

Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bones get thinner and weaker due to a lack of calcium. Osteoporosis most frequently affects the elderly, and many people do not know they have it until they experience a bone fracture.

Bone Cyst

• Frequent fractures may mean you have a bone cyst, which is a fluid-filled cavity in the bone. The cyst may go away on its own, or it may get bigger. If the cyst enlarges, it can cause the affected bone to shorten.

Paget's Disease

• Paget's disease is caused by bone tissue being broken down and reformed abnormally. The newly formed bone is larger and weaker. Fractures are one of the main indicators of Paget's disease.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta

• Osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly called "brittle bone disease," is a genetic disorder that causes bones to easily fracture. This disease is characterized by frequent fractures throughout the person's lifetime.