Periostitis, also known as periostalgia, is a medical condition caused by
inflammation
Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...
of the
periosteum
The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. (At the joints of long bones the bone's outer surface is lined with "articular cartila ...
, a layer of
connective tissue
Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesod ...
that surrounds bone.
The condition is generally chronic and is marked by tenderness and swelling of the bone and pain.
Causes
Acute periostitis is due to
infection
An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...
, characterized by diffuse formation of pus, severe pain, and constitutional symptoms, and usually results in
necrosis
Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. The term "necrosis" came about in the mid-19th century and is commonly attributed to German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who i ...
. It can be caused by excessive physical activity as well, as in the case of
medial tibial stress syndrome (also referred to as tibial periostalgia, soleus periostalgia, or shin splints). Congenital infection with syphilis can also cause periostitis in newborn infants.
Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
Hypertrophy is the increase in the volume of an organ or tissue due to the enlargement of its component Cell (biology), cells. It is distinguished from hyperplasia, in which the cells remain approximately the same size but increase in number. Al ...
can also cause periostitis.
History
Evidence for periostitis found in the fossil record is studied by
paleopathologists, specialists in ancient disease and injury. Periostitis has been seen in the late Cretaceous-Eocene crocodile ''
Borealosuchus formidabilis'', once known as ''
Leidyosuchus''. In one study, periostitis was the most common pathology in this species, with 134 instances of the condition out of 7,154 bones the scientists examined showing evidence for the condition. Periostitis has also been documented in dinosaurs, including a forelimb referred to as the
long-necked ''
Camarasaurus grandis'', as well as the shoulder blade of a
horned dinosaur.
See also
*
Periosteal reaction
References
External links
{{Osteochondropathy
Osteopathies