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The Daily Insight

What is Van Buchem disease?

Author

Sarah Duran

Updated on March 10, 2026

What is Van Buchem disease?

Van Buchem disease is a hereditary sclerosing dysplasia of bone. Both dominant and autosomal recessive modes of transmission have been described. The dominant form tends to be a benign disorder and symptoms are usually confined to those associated with the enlargement of the jaw.

What happens during bone remodeling?

The skeleton is a metabolically active organ that undergoes continuous remodeling throughout life. Bone remodeling involves the removal of mineralized bone by osteoclasts followed by the formation of bone matrix through the osteoblasts that subsequently become mineralized.

What hormones affect bone growth?

Three calcium-regulating hormones play an important role in producing healthy bone: 1) parathyroid hormone or PTH, which maintains the level of calcium and stimulates both resorption and formation of bone; 2) calcitriol, the hormone derived from vitamin D, which stimulates the intestines to absorb enough calcium and …

What causes age related bone loss?

When the rate of bone loss outpaces the rate of replacement, bones weaken, eventually leading to a condition known as osteoporosis. Many factors can contribute to osteoporosis, including aging, certain medications, and hormonal changes.

What is Sclerosteosis?

Sclerosteosis is a very rare serious sclerosing hyperostosis syndrome characterized clinically by variable syndactyly and progressive skeletal overgrowth (particularly of the skull), resulting in distinctive facial features (mandibular overgrowth, frontal bossing, midfacial hypoplasia), cranial nerve entrapment causing …

What causes osteopetrosis?

The X-linked type of osteopetrosis, OL-EDA-ID, results from mutations in the IKBKG gene. In about 30 percent of all cases of osteopetrosis, the cause of the condition is unknown. The genes associated with osteopetrosis are involved in the formation, development, and function of specialized cells called osteoclasts.

What happens when bone remodeling is unbalanced?

In adults, remodeling proceeds at about 10% per year. An imbalance in the regulation of bone remodeling’s two sub-processes, bone resorption and bone formation, results in many metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.

What triggers bone remodeling?

Osteoclast cells cause bone resorption and originate from a hematopoietic lineage, which includes various blood cell types from within the bone marrow. The cellular process of the remodeling begins when osteoblast and osteoclast precursor cells fuse to form a multinucleated, osteoclastic cell.

What causes female estrogen?

How does estrogen work? The ovaries, which produce a woman’s eggs, are the main source of estrogen from your body. Your adrenal glands, located at the top of each kidney, make small amounts of this hormone, so does fat tissue. Estrogen moves through your blood and acts everywhere in your body.

What are the first signs of osteoporosis?

What Are Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

  • Receding gums and bone loss in the jaw. While receding gums are quite common over time, one main symptom of osteoporosis is bone loss in the jaw.
  • Decreased grip strength.
  • Weak and brittle fingernails.
  • Height loss.
  • Fracture from standing height or less.