Question

Discuss age-related changes that occur in the remainder of the axial skeleton

Answer 1

Axial skeleton:

Axial skeleton includes the skeletal structure like skull,verterbrae, rib cage and sternum. This provide a stability to the body by attaching the muscles, ligaments, cartilage and by holding the visceral organs.

Axial skeleton plays a major role in the protection of the brain, spinal cord and the organs which are located inside the axial skeleton.

The bone that forms the axial skeleton are the skull, ossicles of middle ear, the hyoid bone, the rib cage, sternum and the vertebral column in the body.

Age related changes:

As the aging process of the body results in some major changes that occurs inside the bone, muscles, tendons, cartilage and also the change efficiency of body functions.

Bone mineral density is depleted in the normal women at the age of young adult. The bone density is depleted in aging due to the hormonal changes majorly occurs in the women body. Reduction of estrogen occurs as a physiological aging process which decreases the bone density because estrogen has an effect of maintaining a bone density. Gradual decrease of bone density leads to fracture, because of osteoporosis.

Aging factor mainly affects the biomechanical properties of bone and even it also affects the collagen content of the bone.

There will be a loss of balance due to instability of the structures of the axial skeleton that indicate the frequent falls in aging.

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint problem that faced by most of the individuals in aging process. Because there will be low muscle density and the weight bearing of joint for longer episodes of duration leads to erosin of capsular segment and even the bone.

There will be involuntary movements and reduced jerks reflexes seen due to the axial skeleton structure deformation in the muscles and tendons.