Etiology of Specific Health Impairments The etiology of specific health impairments varies. Most result from infections, genetic factors, environmental influences, prenatal influences, perinatal influences, and postnatal influences. Back to...
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis Overview Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine,...
Osteogenesis Impefecta Definition Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. There are at least four recognized forms of the disorder, representing...
Paget's Disease of Bone What is Paget's disease of bone? Paget's disease is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. The excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue that occurs with Paget's disease can...
Spina Bifida Table of Contents What is Spina Bifida? Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Organizations What is Spina Bifida? Spina bifida (SB) is a neural tube defect (a disorder involving incomplete...
Spacticity What is Spasticity? Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted. This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and may interfere with movement, speech, and manner of walking....
Spinal Cord Injury What is Spinal Cord Injury? Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when a traumatic event results in damage to cells within the spinal cord or severs the nerve tracts that relay signals up and down the spinal cord. The most common...
Table of Contents Introduction What is Cerebral Palsy? What Other Medical Disorders? What Causes Cerebral Palsy? What are the Risk Factors? What Are the Early Signs? How is Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed? How is Cerebral Palsy Managed? What Specific...
Hydrocephalus What is Hydrocephalus? Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the primary characteristic is excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. Although hydrocephalus was once known as "water on the brain," the "water" is actually...
Muscular Dystrophy What is Muscular Dystrophy (MD)? The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles which control movement. There are many forms of...