Osteogenesis is the process by which bone tissue grows and develops, from the small bones in the body to the large bones of the skeleton. The undoubted key to normal osteogenesis is the presence of sufficient amounts of endogenous fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). When the osteogenesis system does not work properly, a person may suffer from various bone diseases, including osteoporosis and other conditions.
Normally, bone tissue is in the stage of formation and growth during the first few years of a child's life. However, in some people this stage may be prolonged or absent altogether, resulting in osteogenesis imperfecta. The main symptom of this condition is slow and diminished bone enlargement. Also with osteogenesis imperfecta the following may be observed:
- Underdeveloped bones are when they develop slowly and/or later than in normal people. An example of this would be a decrease in height or bone length. - A spontaneous fracture is a fracture that occurs due to weak bone structure without physical exertion. In other words, these are some kind of fractures that occur due to weak bones. - Spinal stenosis - spinal stenosis is a decrease in the volume of the intervertebral foramina, which are located at all levels of the spine. This condition occurs as a result of incomplete development of the spine in children. Thus, patients have short arms and legs, necks and collarbones become soft, undeveloped, which leads to the patient being in a “hard collar” to avoid brain damage
Treatment for osteogenesis imperfecta depends on many factors, such as the severity of symptoms and the cause of the disease. In most cases, the main treatment is the use of growth factors and chondrocytes, which stimulate the formation of new bone tissue. Other treatments include physical therapy, braces, and surgery to increase bone strength and prevent bone fracture.