Can A Parent Tell If The Bone Is Really Broken?
Sometimes there is no external sign of injury, but people who live with OI - affected adults, teens, older children and parents of children with OI, know the difference between a minor injury and a fracture. They look for certain clues to help determine how serious the injury might be:

• Changes in the size or shape of the injured body part.

• Location, duration and intensity of pain.

• Reactions to moving the injured area.

• Infants may stop moving the injured body part or cry every time the injured part is moved.

• Parents may learn to detect a change in how their child cries when a fracture occurs.

Will Every Bump Cause A Broken Bone?
Fractures are unpredictable. Sometimes a serious fall or accident will not cause a fracture, but other times a bone will break during normal daily activities.


What Should Be Done If The Break Does Not Show Up On The X-Ray?
Because of the nature of OI bone, sometimes the fracture does not show up on the first x-ray. If the area is painful and the person who has OI thinks there is a fracture, then the area should be immobilized with a splint and wrap and otherwise treated as if there is a fracture. If pain continues, the bone should be x-rayed again in a week. If pain goes away, the splint can be removed. Subsequent x-rays sometimes reveal call us formation that is a sign of a healing fracture.


What Can Parents And Adults Who Have OI Do To Prepare For The Next Broken Bone?
Parents should do these things ..

• Take a first aid class.

• Get training from your orthopaedic surgeon on how to safely splint a broken bone.

• Prepare a "Home Fracture Kit."

What Is A Home Fracture Kit?
This kit contains necessary items in an easily moved container such as a small tool box or fishing tackle box. Keep it in an easy to find place in the home. It's a good idea to also have one in the car or at day-care or school. Talk with your orthopaedic surgeon about the best items for your personal kit. Content scan include:

• General first aid supplies: sterile gauze, antiseptic ointment, small bandages, tape, alcohol pads.

• Stiff items for making splints: popsicle sticks, rulers, or cardboard.

• Something to tie the stiff item to the limb: elastic bandages, neckties, long socks, gauze.

• Something to make a sling: pillowcase, cutup table cloths, large safety pins.

• Other helpful items: egg-crate style foam piece, washcloth, phone numbers