Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Research Paper

History

The history of the disease can be traced over two hundred and eighty-one years ago to the first medical record of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva characteristics mentioned. As stated in Kaplan research in Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: an historical perspective, the disorder was first clearly described in a letter to The Royal Society of Medicine dated 14 April 1736, by London physician John Freke (Kaplan, 2005, pp. 179). In keeping with Kaplan’s research, John Freke reported a healthy teenage boy came into the hospital with large swellings on his back that began around the age of three. Furthermore, the teenage boy was noted as having swellings that arose from the vertebrae of his neck to his sacrum, and the entire rib cage appeared to be joining together in all parts of his back. Over the next hundred years, several similar medical cases were reported from all

Physicians were baffled by the disease, and needed to establish better knowledge, prevention, and treatment for their patients.

Physical Characteristics The first physical characteristics of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva at birth are typically malformations of the great toe or fingers. The example in Figure 1 demonstrates the classic FOP characteristic hallux valgus, which is the inward turning of the great toes. It is stated by National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), these abnormalities in the great toe will be shorten, a malformed distal first metatarsal, and missing or abnormal interphalangeal joint. Furthermore, NORD explained there are pre-osseous soft tissue swellings that begin in early childhood with FOP patients. These flare-ups and swellings as seen above in Figure