Osteomalacia
Posted inHealth Conditions & Disease Management

Osteomalacia

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Published: July 27, 2026 | Last Reviewed: July 27, 2026 | Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, MD, Geriatrics | Reading Time: 5 min





Key Takeaways

  • A lack of the proper amount of calcium in the blood can lead to weak and soft bones.
  • Blood tests will be done to check vitamin D, creatinine, calcium,
  • Treatment may involve vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus supplements taken by mouth.
  • Some people with vitamin deficiency disorders will get better within a few weeks.
  • Contact your health care provider if you have symptoms of osteomalacia, or if you think that you may be at risk for this disorder.

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Osteomalacia is softening of the bones. It most often occurs because of a problem that leads to

vitamin D

deficiency, which helps your body absorb calcium. Your body needs calcium to maintain the strength and hardness of your bones.

Understanding osteomalacia bone softening seniors vitamin D deficiency is important for seniors and their caregivers. in children, the condition is called

rickets

.


  1. What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?

  2. What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?

  3. What Are Exams and Tests?

  4. How Is It Treated?

  5. What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?

  6. What Are Possible Complications?

  7. When to Contact a Medical Professional?

  8. How Is It Prevented?

What Are the Common Causes and Risk Factors?

A lack of the proper amount of calcium in the blood can lead to weak and soft bones. Low blood calcium can be caused by low vitamin D level in the blood.

Vitamin D is absorbed from food or produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight. Lack of vitamin D produced by the skin may occur in people who:

  • Live in climates with little exposure to sunlight
  • Must stay indoors
  • Work indoors during the daylight hours
  • Wear clothes that cover most of their skin
  • Have dark skin pigmentation
  • Use very strong sunscreen

You may not get enough vitamin D from your diet if you:

  • Are lactose intolerant (have trouble digesting milk products)
  • Do not eat or drink milk products (more common in older adults)
  • Follow a vegetarian diet
  • Are not able to absorb vitamin D well in the intestines, such as after gastric bypass surgery or due to a gastrointestinal disease

Vitamin D deficit

Other conditions that may cause osteomalacia include:

  • Cancer — rare tumors that cause low phosphate level in the blood

  • Kidney failure

    and

    acidosis

  • Lack of enough phosphates in the diet
  • Liver disease — the liver cannot convert vitamin D to its active form
  • Side effects of medicines used to treat

    seizures

What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs?

What Are the Symptoms and Warning Signs? - illustration

Symptoms include:

  • Bone fractures that happen without a significant injury

  • Muscle weakness

  • Widespread

    bone pain

    , especially in the hips

Symptoms may also occur due to a low calcium level. These include:

  • Numbness

    around the mouth

  • Numbness or tingling of the arms and legs

  • Spasms or cramps of the hands or feet

📖 What Are Exams and Tests?
📖 What Are Exams and Tests?

What Are Exams and Tests?

Blood tests will be done to check vitamin D, creatinine, calcium,

phosphate

, electrolyte, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone levels.

Bone x-rays

and a

bone density test

can help detect pseudofractures, bone loss, and bone softening. More importantly, osteomalacia can look like weakening of the bones from

osteoporosis

on bone density testing.

In some cases, a

bone biopsy

will be done to see if bone softening is present.

📖 How Is It Treated?

📖 How Is It Treated?

How Is It Treated?

Treatment may involve vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus supplements taken by mouth. People who cannot absorb nutrients well through the intestines may need larger doses of vitamin D and calcium. This includes people who have some types of weight loss surgery.

People with certain conditions may need regular blood tests to monitor blood levels of phosphorus and calcium.

📖 What Is Outlook (Prognosis)?