Paget's Disease of Bone What Is It? Bones in your body
continuously break down and form again in a natural and tightly
balanced process called bone remodeling. This bone remodeling
also occurs in response to stress or injury placed on the bone.
For example, weight-bearing exercise leads to increased bone
formation. In Paget's disease, more bone breaks down than usual
and more new bone forms than usual. These changes in the bone
can lead to bone enlargement and deformity. The new bone growth
tends to be softer and more fragile than normal bone, and can
develop in a haphazard pattern. Because of this, the bone can
fracture. The long bones, especially the legs, tend to bow, and
the skull may enlarge, particularly over the forehead. Paget's
disease is the second most common bone disorder in people over
50, after osteoporosis. It is rarely diagnosed in young adults.
Although the cause is unknown, genetics may play a role because
the disease sometimes runs in families. Research suggests a
slow-growing virus may tri