大骨节病,国际上通称Kashin—BecK’s Disease,是一种地方性慢性对称畸形的骨关节病,主要侵犯发育期的青少年,临床表现为关节疼痛、增粗,短肢畸形,肌肉萎缩,活动障碍。得此病,轻者劳动能力下降,重者残废。严重地影响病区人民的健康和劳动能力。 据报道,苏联、日本、朝鲜、瑞典、瑞士、越南、阿尔巴尼亚等都有大骨节病流行。我国大骨节病流行广、危害大,是当前重点研究、积极防治的地方病之一。

Kaschin-Beck’s disease is a non-communicable endemic and distributes widely inchina. This study indicates that the chemical geography in the disease-occurring re-gions is characterized by lower content of sulfur and selenium and high content ofstrontium in drinking water, soil and grain as compared with healthy regions. Thegeographical epidemicity of this disease may be controlled by high content of sulfur andselenium in environment. This disease can also be prevented and cured to a certain extentby chemical compounds containing sulfur. As the cause of this disease has not yet beenwell known, the relationship between this disease and some trace elements, which relatesto sulfur in the field of biogeochemistry, should be further studied.