Osteogenesis Imperfecta

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There are many well-known disabilities and osteogenesis imperfecta is not one of them. Thus, this disability will be the topic of my investigation. Although osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, is not a widely-known condition, having knowledge on this rare condition will be helpful in case I encounter a child or adult with this condition. By having knowledge on rare conditions like osteogenesis imperfecta, better care and understanding can be provided to someone who is encountering this condition. All children and families deserve patience, understanding, and knowledgeable teachers, regardless if a child’s disability is well-known or not. Osteogenesis imperfecta refers to “…a genetic disorder characterized by bones …show more content…

It usually inherited through an “…autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the condition” (NIH). Sometimes, the genes are mutated as well. The specific genes that are mutated are, “…the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes…which are responsible for more than 90 percent of all cases of osteogenesis imperfecta. These genes provide instructions for making proteins that are used to assemble type I collagen. This type of collagen is the most abundant protein in bone, skin, and other connective tissues that provide structure and strength to the body” (NIH). The severe lack of collagen causes the bones to become very, very fragile. There are also rare cases of OI where the specific affected gene(s) remain unknown. Although there are some answers to the cause of osteogenesis imperfecta, some cases remain undetermined and doctors are still researching …show more content…

I determined that they were credible because they are peer-reviewed, government endorsed and funded, they provide information for doctors and other medical providers, and the sources are written solely by doctors knowledgeable about osteogenesis imperfecta. I also briefly looked at the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation website. This was another credible source because the website stated that the National Institutes of Health helped write and prepare the “Fast Facts on Osteogenesis Imperfecta” page. I found these resources after looking up “osteogenesis imperfecta” on a search

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