We worry when the body doesn't make enough bone. Conditions including osteoporosis can cause devastating complications as a result of weak bone. Fractures that don't heal can lead to painful nonunions. But we seldom talk about the body making too much bone.
There are conditions where the body makes too much bone. These conditions cause heterotopic bone formation or heterotopic ossification. Often abbreviated H.O., heterotopic ossification can cause pain and joint stiffness. Heterotopic bone may be the result of an injury or surgery, or it may be part of a genetic condition. The treatment of heterotopic ossification will depend on which of these conditions led to the excess bone formation.
Related: Heterotopic Ossification | Myositis Ossificans
