osteolysis /os′tē·ol″isis/ [Gk, osteon + lysis, loosening] , the degeneration and dissolution of bone caused by disease, infection, or ischemia. The condition commonly affects the terminal bones of the hands and feet, such as in acro-osteolysis, and is seen in disorders involving blood vessels, such as Raynaud’s disease, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. −osteolytic, adj.
