paget's disease is a long-lasting (chronic) condition that causes abnormal bone growth. bone is constantly being replaced as bone tissue is broken down and absorbed into the body then rebuilt with new cells. in the early stages of paget's disease bone tissue is broken down and absorbed much faster than normal. to keep up with the rapid breakdown of bone tissue the body speeds up the bone rebuilding process. but this new bone is often weak and brittle causing it to break (fracture) more easily. paget's disease usually affects the bones in the pelvis spine thigh ( femur ) skull shin (tibia) and upper arm ( humerus ). one bone or several bones may be affected by paget's disease. webmd medical reference from healthwise this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2011 healthwise incorporated. healthwise healthwise for every health decision and the healthwise logo are trademarks of healthwise incorporated.
what is paget's disease?