What causes heterotopic ossification?

Heterotopic ossification (HO) occurs when bone tissue develops in your soft tissues. Often, people get HO after an injury or major surgery. Genetic HO is rarer and more severe. In HO, you develop a bony, painful lump underneath your skin.

What is heterotopic ossification?

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a diverse pathologic process, defined as the formation of extraskeletal bone in muscle and soft tissues. HO can be conceptualized as a tissue repair process gone awry and is a common complication of trauma and surgery.

How is fibrodysplasia ossificans caused?

FOP is caused by the mutation of a gene (ACVR1) in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway, which is important during the formation of the skeleton in the embryo and the repair of the skeleton following birth.

What happens in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva FOP to the skeleton?

Description. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a disorder in which muscle tissue and connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments are gradually replaced by bone (ossified), forming bone outside the skeleton (extra-skeletal or heterotopic bone) that constrains movement.

Is heterotopic ossification serious?

If the cause of pain or discomfort is not found and treated immediately, serious complications, such as stroke, seizure, organ damage, permanent brain injury or even death, may occur. Autonomic dysreflexia can occur with HO as the abnormal bone growth causes pain that the brain doesn’t recognize because of SCI.

Who is at risk for heterotopic ossification?

Risk factors include spasticity, older age, pressure ulcer, the presence of DVT, having a tracheostomy, long bone fractures, prior injury to the same area, edema, immobility, long-term coma and severity of the injury.

Can heterotopic ossification be cured?

For now, the only way to treat heterotopic ossification is to wait for it to stop growing and cut it out which never completely restores joint function. This new research suggests that there may be a way to treat it at the cellular level.

What are some early signs and symptoms of FOP?

Symptoms of FOP include:

  • malformations of the big toe.
  • spontaneous flare-ups of inflammation or soft tissue swelling.
  • increased flare-ups after injury, viral illness, or immunizations.
  • difficulty moving.
  • frequent injury due to falling.

How can FOP be cured?

Currently, there is no cure for FOP. Courses of high-dose corticosteroids at the start of a flare-up can reduce some of the symptoms of the condition.

How do you remove heterotopic ossification?

In the case of heterotopic ossification, the only effective treatment is excision, also called resection. Dr. Nwachukwu will often delay surgical excision for 5-6 months following the initial hip trauma and/or inciting surgery, allowing the bone growth to mature and for a distinct fibrous capsule to develop.