Rickets : Introduction

Rickets is a medical condition characterized by deficient mineralization at the growth plate of long bones, ultimately leading to growth retardation and bone deformities, including bowed legs and thickening of the ends of long bones. This condition exclusively affects growing children before the fusion of their epiphyses, primarily impacting areas such as the wrists, knees, and costochondral junctions.

One of the primary causes of rickets is a nutritional deficiency of vitamin D, although it can also be associated with deficiencies of calcium or phosphorus. Hypophosphataemic rickets, a genetic condition, is a common underlying cause of this disorder.

The pathophysiology of rickets involves the failure of mineralization of the growth plate and osteoid matrix, resulting in defective chondrocyte differentiation and mineralization of the epiphyseal growth plates, as well as delayed bone matrix formation and mineralization. As a consequence, the skeleton loses its rigidity, leading to severe deformities such as bowed legs and pelvic misalignment, ultimately impeding normal growth. Clinical and radiological assessments, often based on the observation of widened growth plates, are utilized to diagnose rickets.

Rickets primarily affects infants and young children aged 6–23 months and adolescents aged 12–15 years, although it can manifest in children aged 2–11 years...