[os-tee-oh-muh-ley-shuh, -shee-uh, -see-uh] 
| a condition characterized by softening of the bones with resultant pain, weakness, and bone fragility, caused by inadequate deposition of calcium or vitamin D. |
| os·te·o·ma·la·cia (ŏs'tē-ō-mə-lā'shə, -shē-ə) n. A disease occurring mostly in adult women that results from a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium and is characterized by a softening of the bones with accompanying pain and weakness. [New Latin : osteo- + Greek malakiā, softness (from malakos, soft; see mel-1 in Indo-European roots).] |
osteomalacia os·te·o·ma·la·cia (ŏs'tē-ō-mə-lā'shə, -shē-ə)
n.
A disease occurring primarily in adults that results from a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium and is characterized by a softening of the bones with accompanying pain and weakness. Also called adult rickets, late rickets.
osteomalacia
condition in which the bones of an adult progressively soften because of inadequate mineralization of the bone. (In children the condition is called rickets.) Osteomalacia may occur after several pregnancies or in old age, resulting in increased susceptibility to fractures. Symptoms include bone pain, weakness, numbness of the extremities, and spasms of the hands or feet
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