Brittle Bone Disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta, OI)
A disorder characterized by that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause.
About Brittle Bone Disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta, OI)
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a disease that causes weak that break easily. It is known as brittle disease. Sometimes the bones break for no known reason. OI can also cause many other problems such as weak , brittle , and . About 20,000 to 50,000 people in the United States have OI.
What causes Osteogenesis Imperfecta?
OI is caused by one of several that aren’t working properly. Genes carry our hereditary (family) information. We each have two copies of most genes: one set from each parent. Genes are what make you look like your biological family.
Each of the that cause OI plays a role in how the body makes . Collagen is a material in that helps make them strong. When these genes aren’t working properly, there isn’t enough collagen, or the collagen doesn’t work properly. This leads to weak bones that break easily.
Most children inherit the that doesn’t work properly from one parent. Some inherit it from both parents. In some cases, neither parent passes on this gene. Instead, the gene stops working properly soon after the child is conceived….