Mannequin disease is also known as Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).
Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), known by it's nickname of mannequin disease is a genetic disorder that causes the body's muscles, tendons and ligaments to gradually turn into bone.
Mannequin disease or Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) is extremely rare and creates a second skeleton that progressively locks your joints and immobilizes your body.
In mannequin disease, minor injuries like a bruise, fall or even a medical procedure can trigger flare ups and cause soft tissues to ossify or turn into bone.
The mannequin disease condition often begins in early childhood and begins around the neck and shoulders and then moves down your limbs and torso.
And as your joints are locked by the new bone growth in mannequin disease, you lose mobility and can even become stiff permanently, like a mannequin, hence the name mannequin disease.
Mannequin disease is exceptionally rare and affects around 1 in 2 million people in the world.
Infants that are born with mannequin disease often also have malformed big toes, which is a key early indicator of mannequin disease.
There's no cure for mannequin disease, although targeted therapies and supportive care are available to manage the pain and prevent flare ups.
Attempting to surgically remove the excess bone often triggers even more bone to grow, so surgery is not usually done in mannequin disease.
Mannequin disease can be inherited by autosomal dominant inheritance, although most cases of mannequin disease are sporadic new mutations in the person affected.
A child carrying the FOP causing mutation is often born following an uneventful pregnancy.