preview

Osteogenesis Imperfecta Research Paper

Decent Essays

What is osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)? OI, formally known as Brittle Bone Syndrome, is a genetic bone disorder that affects the body’s ability to make bones strong which causes the bones to fracture easily, often without any apparent cause. OI affects the collagen in your body which not only makes your bones strong, but also helps the rest of your body stay strong as well. There are 8 different types of OI and all of them differ in range of severity. Type 1 OI is the most common and the mildest form of the 8. OI Type 2 is the most severe. OI can even vary greatly between individuals of the same family (“Osteogenesis Imperfecta,”n.d.). Most cases of OI are caused by a dominant genetic defect. This means that only one copy of the mutation is necessary …show more content…

Type 3 OI is often present at birth with fractures being prominent and healed fractures may be revealed by x-ray that occurred before birth. This type of OI is progressive with age and may require the individual to have a wheelchair. This is a result of malformation in the area between the occipital bone and where the top of the spine meet. With type 3 OI the individual still has the characteristics of having a short stature, blue, purple or gray tint sclera, loose joints and poor muscle development in the longer extremities, triangular face, curvature spine and respiratory problems. The one difference in this type of OI is that the individual has a barrel-shaped rib cage. Hearing loss and brittle teeth is still possible with this type of OI. As stated before, Type 4 OI is between the severity of type 1 and 2. One of the differences with this type is the sclera is of normal color and the individual will have mild to moderate bone deformity. With this type you will have a shorter than average stature along with the same symptoms in type 3 (“Fast Facts,”n.d.). There are some unclassified types of OI that researchers are still studying. “By studying the appearance of OI bone under the microscope, investigators noticed that some people who are clinically within the Type IV group had a distinct pattern to their bone. When they reviewed the full medical history of these people, …show more content…

Treatments for OI are individualized and dependent upon the severity of the disease and age of the patient being treated. There is a team of healthcare providers that provide this treatment for OI including several types of doctors, physical therapist, a nurse clinician and a social worker. There are 3 types of nonsurgical treatments, medication being one of them. Medical bisphosphonates are given to the child either by mouth of IV. This helps slow down resorption of the bone and in more severe cases, it helps reduce the number of fractures and helps with pain. Another type of nonsurgical treatment is immobilization, this includes casts, braces and splints to keep the bones still and in line in order to heal correctly. The last nonsurgical treatment is exercise. After a child receives a fracture, it is encouraged to get them up and weight bearing as soon as the bone is healed. Certain exercises will increase mobility and reduce risk of fractures

Get Access