Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Molecular and Mesoscale Disease Mechanisms

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder in collagen characterized by mechanically weakened tendon and fragile bones that affects more than 1 in 10,000 individuals. Even though many studies have attempted to associate specific mutation types with phenotypic severity, the mechanisms by which a single point mutation influences the mechanical behavior of tissues at multiple length-scales remain unknown. Here we show by a hierarchy of full atomistic and mesoscale simulation that OI mutations severely compromise the mechanical properties of collagenous tissues at multiple scales, from single molecules to collagen fibrils.