Femoral and Lumbar Fractures During Rehabilitation for a Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Presentation

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is one of the most common inherited bone disorders. These individuals are high-risk for developing fractures during their lifetime secondary to bone fragility. This case presents a female with type I OI involved in a high speed motor vehicle accident resulting in a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and paraplegia. Inpatient rehabilitation was complicated by fractures of the femur and lumbar spine which impacted her level of independence upon discharge to prevent additional fractures and maintain safety. OI coupled with SCI creates a difficult combination for the rehabilitation team. This case highlights the complexity of this challenge to bring awareness to the rehabilitation team in order to safely maximize independence and minimize and prevent unnecessary injury when designing an interdisciplinary treatment plan.