age. It can be inherited as either a autosomal recessive or .
dominant trait. The sclerae is only slightly bluish in .
infancy and white in adulthood, although the average life .
expectancy is 25 years. Type IV is always dominant. With .
types III and IV multiple fractures from minor physical .
stress occurs leading to progressive and severe deformities. .
Kyphoscoliosis may cause respiratory impairment and .
predisposition to pulmonary infections. "Popcorn-like" .
deposits of mineral appear on the ends of long bones. .
(Isselbacher, 2111) .
The symptoms of OI tarde (types I, III and IV) can .
appear when the child begins to walk, and lessens with age. .
The tendency to fracture decreases and often disappears .
after puberty. Later in life, particularly during pregnancy .
and after menopause, more fractures occur. The bones are .
usually slender with short, thin cortices and trabeculae .
(fibers of framework), but can also be unusually thin. .
(Smith, 1983, 136) Narrow diaphysis of the long bones .
contributes to the fractures and bowing deformities. .
Scoliosis is common. The haversian cells are poorly .
developed. The bones lack minerals needed to form bone .
matrix. Epiphyseal fractures (end of the bone) results in .
deformities and stunted growth (dwarfism). Osteopenia, the .
decrease in bone mass, is symptomatic.
Other signs of OI include hyperextensibility of the .
joints -- double-jointedness-- and abnormally thin, .
translucent skin. Discolored (blue-gray or yellow-brown) and .
malformed teeth which break easily and are cavity prone are .
found in patients Patients with OI have a triangular-shaped .
head and face, a bilaterally bulging skull, and prominent .
eyes with a wide distance between the temporal region. .
(Loeb, 755).
Hearing loss by the age of 30-40 is the result of .
the pressure on the auditory nerve because of the deformity .
of its canal in the skull, and the development of .
otosclerosis. Recurrent epistaxis (nosebleeds), bruising .