Abnormal hardening of bone and an elevation in bone density is known as

Appeared in: OSSSC Nursing Officer-2021

Explanation

Osteopetrosis, also called marble bone disease, is characterized by abnormally dense and hardened bones.
The underlying cause is a defect in osteoclast function, which are the cells responsible for bone resorption (breakdown).
Without proper resorption, old bone accumulates, leading to increased bone mass.
Despite being dense, the bone architecture is disorganized and weak, making the bones brittle and prone to fractures.

Option A: Osteoporosis is the opposite of the condition described. It is characterized by decreased bone density, making bones porous and weak.
Option C: Osteomalacia is characterized by the softening of bones, not hardening. It is due to defective bone mineralization.
Option D: Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, causing pain and stiffness. It does not primarily describe a disorder of bone density.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Bone Density Disorders as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
A key nursing consideration for patients with osteopetrosis is fracture prevention and safety, as their bones are paradoxically dense yet brittle.
Nurses should monitor for signs of cranial nerve compression (e.g., vision changes, hearing loss) and bone marrow failure (e.g., anemia, infection, bleeding) due to bone overgrowth.
What if? If a patient presented with loss of height and a history of fractures from minor falls, the primary suspicion would shift from osteopetrosis to osteoporosis, which is far more common, especially in postmenopausal women.

How to Approach the Question

First, analyze the keywords in the question stem: 'abnormal hardening' and 'elevation in bone density'.
Consider the prefix 'osteo-', which relates to bone.
Evaluate each option's suffix and known definition:
'porosis' implies a porous condition (loss of density).
'petrosis' comes from 'petros,' meaning stone, implying a stone-like, dense condition.
'malacia' means softening.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 167-169

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 1179-1181

Practise the full OSSSC Nursing Officer-2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.