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Bone pain

Bone pain (also known medically by several other names) is pain coming from a bone, and is caused by damaging stimuli. It occurs as a result of a wide range of diseases or physical conditions or both, and may severely impair the quality of life.

Bone pain belongs to the class of deep somatic pain, often experienced as a dull pain that cannot be localized accurately by the patient. This is in contrast with the pain which is mediated by superficial receptors in, e.g., the skin. Bone pain can have several possible causes ranging from extensive physical stress to serious diseases such as cancer.

For many years[when?], it has been known that bones are innervated with sensory neurons, yet their exact anatomy remained obscure due to the contrasting physical properties of bone and neural tissue. More recently,[when?] it is becoming clear what types of nerves innervated which sections of bone. The periosteal layer (an outer membrane) of bone tissue is highly pain-sensitive and an important source of pain in several disease conditions causing bone pain, like fractures, osteoarthritis, etc. However, in certain diseases, the endosteal and haversian nerve supply seems to play an important role, e.g. in osteomalacia, osteonecrosis, and other bone diseases.[citation needed] Thus, there are several types of bone pain, each with many potential sources or origins of cause.

A number of diseases can cause bone pain, including the following:

Common causes of bone and joint pain in adults, such as osteoarthritis and gouty arthritis are rare in children, as these diseases are a sequelae of chronic wear and tear for several years.

Pain caused by cancer within bones is one of the most severe forms of pain. Because of its severity and uniqueness with respect to other forms of pain, it is extensively researched. According to studies of bone cancer in mouse femur models, it has been determined that bone pain related to cancer occurs as a result of destruction of bone tissue. Chemical changes that occur within the spinal cord as a result of bone destruction give further insight into the mechanism of bone pain.

Metastatic cancer cells often establish themselves within the skeleton. When the cancer cells have metastasized, the mechanical dynamics of the bone matrix become weaker as skeletal strength decreases. This leads to several other complications throughout the body, including pain, thus decreasing the patient's quality of life.

Bone tumors are composed of a conglomeration of cell types, including cancer and immune system cells. Often, tumor cells secrete growth factors that activate receptors close to primary afferent neurons. Activation of these neural receptors is a contributing factor to pain sensation. Additionally, inflammatory lipids called prostaglandins, which are produced at high rates by cancer cells within tumors, activate nociceptors when they bind together.

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