On the occasion of the 13th International Conference on Osteogenesis imperfecta in August 2017 an expert panel was convened to develop an international consensus paper regarding physical rehabilitation in children and adolescents with Osteogenesis imperfecta. The experts were chosen based on their clinical experience with children with osteogenesis imperfecta and were identified by sending out questionnaires to specialized centers and patient organizations in 26 different countries. The final expert-group included 16 representatives (12 physiotherapists, two occupational therapists and two medical doctors) from 14 countries. Within the framework of a collation of personal experiences and the results of a literature search, the participating physiotherapists, occupational therapists and medical doctors formulated 17 expert-statements on physical rehabilitation in patients aged 0–18 years with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Purpose: To analyze clinical and functional features of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Methods: A cross-sectional study of 62 participants examined clinical, body structure and function and activity features. Results: A total of 31 participants had OI type I, 9 had type III, and 22 had type IV. Mild (type I) and moderate/severe (types III and IV) OI differed significantly in occurrence of fractures, presence of bone deformities, the use of intramedullary rods, bone mineral density, and bisphosphonate therapy. Age of gait acquisition showed an association with overall joint range of motion and an inverse relationship with overall muscle strength. Level of ambulation was associated with overall muscle strength and inversely associated with overall joint range of motion. Conclusions: Features vary according to OI type. Moderate and severe forms of OI are associated with greater functional limitation, influenced by fracture history, which negatively affects the acquisition and level of ambulation.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a disorder of bone formation leading to low mineral density and fractures. Children and adolescents with OI require periodic medical follow up, corrective surgery, drug therapy and physical therapy, as well as specific daily care practices. In addition, they have an increased incidence of fractures, which require immobilization and cause severe discomfort and short-term disability. This study evaluated the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with OI in two reference centers for OI treatment in southern Brazil. In this prospective cross-sectional study, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQLTM) was applied in two university-affiliated reference centers for OI treatment in southern Brazil. Children and adolescents aged ≥ 5 years with clinical diagnoses of OI were included. Clinical data and socioeconomic status was evaluated. The sample consisted of 52 children and adolescents with OI (aged 5-17 years); 26 (50%) participants with type I OI, 13 (25%) type IV, 12 (23.1 %) type III, and 1 (1.9%) type V OI. Physical and social functioning domains differed significantly according to clinical presentation of OI with lowest scores in the severe type (OI type III). Pain seems to be the variable that is most associated with impact on the PedsQL domains. Overall, this study revealed differences in physical functioning and social functioning in relation to OI clinical presentation. These results reinforcing the importance of the clinical management of these patients with the aim of functional improvement and importance of pain control.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess anthropometric measurements, nutritional status, dietary intake, and body fat percentage of pediatric patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Method: A cross-sectional study evaluated 63 OI patients from 0 to 19 years of age. We analyzed anthropometric measurements, mobility, bisphosphonate treatment, body fat percentage (by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry [DEXA] and sum of skinfold thickness), nutritional status, and dietary intake (using World Health Organization [WHO] and dietary reference intake recommendations for macronutrients and calcium intake, respectively). Participants’ energy requirements were calculated using both kilocalorie per centimeter measurements and WHO methods. Results: Patients with different types of OI had different anthropometric measurements (p < 0.05), where OI type III had severely limited stature and poor mobility. Nutritional status was correlated with measurements of arm circumference and body fat. We also found a strong correlation between the 2 methods used to calculate percentage of body fat (r = 0.803). OI type III had a higher percentage of energy intake. We observed that 75% of subjects had a calcium intake below 95% of recommended daily value and there was an inverse correlation between age and calcium intake. Conclusions: This study showed that stature was compromised mainly in OI type III. Skinfold thickness and arm circumference correlated to nutritional status and also to body fat calculated by DEXA. Daily calcium intake was below the recommended levels in pediatric patients with OI. These findings are important for the management of OI subjects.

Objective: To assess at-birth health outcomes of neonates with OI. Study Design: 53 women who self-reported having had at least one child with OI completed the survey. We evaluated pregnancy length, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) usage, at-birth complications, and the child’s clinical information including OI type, height and weight. Results: Information was gathered on a total of 77 children (60 type I, 4 type III and 13 type IV). Health conditions reported at birth included breech presentation (24%), prematurity (27%), fracture (18%), bone deformity (18%), and respiratory problems (22%). Approximately 31% (n=24) received NICU care. There was a significant association between younger maternal age, preterm delivery, and NICU admission. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that newborns with OI appear to be at high risk of skeletal disorders, preterm delivery, and breech presentation. Younger maternal age and preterm delivery seem to be strong predictors of the need for NICU care. Our data suggest that pregnant women with OI younger than 20 years of age may benefit from added clinical supervision in anticipation of adverse effects on their child.

Background: Secondary peripheral chondrosarcomas arising in solitary osteochondromas is an unusual complication, reported in small series. In this study, we aimed to present our experience with this rare variant of chondrosarcoma and compare results with already published data in order to determine prognostic factors for overall and disease-free survival. Methods: The case study includes retrospective data from patients diagnosed at a single institution from 1943 to 2019. Clinical data were collected reviewing all available medical records from first to last follow-up visits. To exclude the presence of the Multiple Osteochondroma Hereditary Syndrome, few patients, with a suspect of a familial form of the disease, were evaluated for the presence of germline heterozygous variants in EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Results were summarized using descriptive statistics and statistical analysis were performed to reveal associations between variables. Results: Two hundred and fourteen secondary peripheral chondrosarcomas that arose exclusively from solitary osteochondromas diagnosed in a multidisciplinary setting at the IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli were retrospectively identified, 66.4% males and 33.6% females with a median age at diagnosis of 38 years. The local recurrence rate was 17.3%, while the metastases one was 5.1%. Besides age, a high histologic grade is the only factor associated with worse 5-year and 10-year overall survival (log-rank p = 0.0005, HR = 3.74; 95% CI 1.69–8.26). Moreover, high histological grade (HR = 3.75; 95% CI = 1.69–8.34; p = 0.001) and surgical debulking (HR = 3.71; 95% CI = 1.57–8.79; p = 0.003) were associated with a significantly worse disease-free survival. Conclusions: Our study confirm the low-grade behavior of secondary peripheral chondrosarcomas and demonstrate that the best choice of treatment for those arising in solitary osteochondromas is the wide surgical excision, when possible. Location per se is not a factor that affects prognosis, while the accurate histological grade assessment is correlated with the tumor aggressiveness and a long term follow up is necessary for this rare variant of chondrosarcoma.