Stone Man Syndrome or Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva is very rare, affecting less than one in two million people. It is a disease of the connective tissue. A mutation in the genes causes any injury to the muscles or tendons to solidify in a process called ossification. As a fetus develops in the womb, the gene that causes bone growth is working to make sure that the baby grows the correct amount of bones. When the baby is fully formed, the gene turns itself off, except in the case of Stone Man Syndrome. Sometimes children who are affected by this disorder do show symptoms at birth in the form of unusually shaped big toes. The beginnings of Stone Man Syndrome usually occur before the age of ten and can be exacerbated by injuries. The most famous cause of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva was Harry Eastlack, who, by the age of forty, was nearly completely "turned to stone." The only part of his body that he could move were his lips. His skeleton is now on display at the Mütter Museum, as he donated his body to science to help find a cure for the disease. There is currently no cure nor definitive treatment for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Any surgery to remove extra bones results in even more bony growth around the surgical site.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 07:31:56 +0000
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