THE PROGNOSIS FOR WALKING IN OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA

We report a postal survey of 59 families of children with osteogenesis imperfecta, From the 51 replies we collected data on developmental mi lestones and walking ability and related them to the Sillence and the Shapiro classifications of osteogenesis imperfecta, Twenty-four of the patients had been treated by intramedullary redding, Both classificat ions helped to predict eventual walking ability. We found that indepen dent sitting by the age of ten months was a predictor for the use of w alking as the main means of mobility with 76% attaining this. Of the p atients who did not achieve sitting by ten months, walking became the main means of mobility in only 18%. The developmental pattern of mobil ity was similar in the rodded and non-rodded patients.