Rachitic Rosary- What Does it Mean? 

Rachitic rosary is a term used for a condition of bones where abnormal beads like nodules are formed in the bones that resemble beads of gas pains in chest rosary. This condition especially happens due to lack of certain essential vitamins and minerals but most often seen in patients with rickets. This is also taken as a complication of effect of lesion caused by rickets disease. The rachiticbeads greatly vary in size and number but are often of the size of small knobs that could be present in the bones of rib cage. These beads are sometimes visible over the skin of rib cage but sometimes are only felt by hand. These do not occur in any other bone of the body and is primarily caused by the deficiency of vitamin D or D3. The cause of this disease could be tracked down by the effects of rickets in the body.

Rickets is primarily a deficiency disease which occurs after prolong deficiency of vitamin D in the body. As you know this vitamin plays great role in calcium absorption in the body which in turn works for bone development. In the lack of vitamin D the calcium is not utilized by the body for the bone growth and thereby small lesions occur at the sight of bone where rapid development is evident. These lesions are mostly seen on the costochondral junctions that are present in the joining ends of the rib cage. This injury is caused by defective formation of cartilage and other bone constituents due to absence of calcium and vitamin D. these lesions could only be detected if radiograph is conducted on the rib bones. In rare conditions when the lesions get further they could cause minute fractures in the bones of rib cage.

When at this stage the vitamin D supplements are not administered in the body it leads to formation of rachitic rosary in the bones of ribs. These beads are often one, two or more in number and could occur in several bones of ribs at a time. The exact procedure of its formation is still unknown but it is certain to form from the lesions in the bones caused by the rickets. Certain scientists are surprised to see that most of the rachiticbeads are observed to develop on the costochondral junction of the bones of the ribs. This is seen in major cases of rosary which is attributed to the initiation of rosary formation in the cartilage portion. Only vitamin D is not responsible to form rachitic rosary but along with it deficiency of important minerals and calcium leads to the overgrowth in the cartilage of the ribs.

The symptoms are primarily felt when the patient tries to move the upper body or lift heavy weight. Proper medical treatment is necessary to treat the condition.