The people who are most likely to get osteogenesis imperfecta include people with a family history of the disease which are at greater risk of inheriting the disease through an abnormal gene that is passed on from one or both parents.
Another name for osteogenesis imperfecta is brittle bone disease.
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited (genetic) bone disorder that is present at birth.
It is also known as brittle bone disease.
A child born with OI may have soft bones that break (fracture) easily, bones that are not formed normally, and other problems.
Signs and symptoms may range from mild to severe.
Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by defective genes.
These genes affect how the body makes collagen, a protein that helps strengthen bones.
The condition can be mild, with only a few fractures during a person's lifetime. In more severe cases, it can involve hundreds of fractures that occur without any apparent cause.
Treatments include bone-strengthening medications, physical therapy, and orthopedic surgery.
There are several types of osteogenesis imperfecta which include.
Type I: This is the mildest and most common form of OI. Type I leads to broken bones (bone fractures) or muscle weakness.
Type II: Babies born with Type II often can't breathe and die young.
Type III: Babies often have broken bones at birth.
Type IV: Bones may break easily.
Pain is a common occurrence for children with OI and is both acute and chronic in nature, interfering with children's daily living activities.
OI pain may not be optimally treated because many children experienced moderate to severe pain despite use of analgesics and/or coping strategies.