Malacia

Malacia is abnormal softening of a biological tissue, most often cartilage. The word is derived from Greek μαλακός, malakos = soft. Usually the combining form -malacia suffixed to another combining form that denotes the affected tissue assigns a more specific name to each such disorder, as follows:


 * Osteomalacia (rickets), a bone disorder from vitamin D deficiency
 * Chondromalacia, softening of cartilage (often refers to chondromalacia patellae when mentioned without further specification)
 * Chondromalacia patellae, a disorder of cartilage under the kneecap
 * Bronchomalacia, a disorder of the bronchial tubes' cartilage
 * Laryngomalacia, a disorder of the larynx's cartilage
 * Tracheomalacia, a disorder of the trachea's cartilage
 * Keratomalacia, an eye disorder from vitamin A deficiency
 * Myelomalacia, a disorder of the spinal cord
 * Cerebral softening (encephalomalacia), localized softening of brain tissue