Osteophyte: Bone Spur Results from Arthritis

By MC Kelby HERWriter

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arthritis can result in osteophytes or bone spurs

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Many moons ago when I’d walk around downtown Chicago in my high heels, I’d occasionally feel this weird rubbing sensation of my heel against my shoe.

I told my roommate about it and she said, “It sounds like you may have a bone spur.”

A bone spur? What in the world is a bone spur? I immediately visualized a cowboy’s spur attached to the heel of my foot.

Once I brought myself back to reality, I asked my knowledgeable roommate about bone spurs. My roommate mentioned that her mom had a bone spur on her spine.

Generally a bone spur, or osteophyte, is the result of arthritis. Over years, arthritis patients lose cartilage, which results in arthritis aches and pains.

According to CNN, “Bone spurs are bony projections that develop along the edges of bones. Also called osteophytes, bone spurs often form where bones meet each other — in your joints. Bone spurs can also form on the bones of your spine.”

“In an attempt to repair the loss of cartilage, your body creates extra bone to help increase the surface area for load bearing,” stated the CNN website.

The main complication of a bone spur is called a loose body. A loose body occurs when the bone spur breaks off from the bone.

When the bone spur breaks off it can become lodged in your joint and cause the joint to lock up. The joint locking can be intermittent as the loose bodies move in and out of the joint.

Bone spurs occur mainly in the following areas: knees, spine, hip, shoulder and fingers.

The symptoms of a bone spur depends on the location. For example, if your fingers look knobby at the joints, you may have a bone spur. According to CNN, other symptoms of bone spurs include the following:

Hip

Bone spurs can make it painful to move your hip, although the pain is sometimes referred down to your knee. Depending upon the placement, bone spurs also can reduce the range of motion in your hip joint.

Knee

Bone spurs in your knee may make it painful to extend and bend your leg. The bony growths can get in the way of bones and tendons that keep your knee operating smoothly.

Shoulder

Bone spurs can rub on your rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that help control your shoulder movements. This can cause swelling (tendinitis) and tears in your rotator cuff.

Spine

Bone spurs on your vertebrae can narrow the space that contains your spinal cord. These bone spurs can pinch the spinal cord or its nerve roots and may sometimes cause weakness or numbness in your arms or legs.

In my personal bone spur story, my roommate was correct. I had a heel bone spur. This occurs due to inflammation of the Achilles tendon and extensively wearing high heels or tight shoes.

Please note that if you have difficulty moving a joint or swelling in more than one joint, you should contact your doctor immediately.

References:

Bone Spurs (Osteophytes). MedicineNet. Retrieved October 28, 2012, from
http://www.medicinenet.com/bone_spurs/article.htm

Bone spurs. CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Retrieved October 28, 2012, from
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/bone-spurs/DS00627.html

Reviewed October 29, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.