Moderate-to-severe OI primarily affects mobility; if rodding surgery is performed during childhood, some of those with more severe types of OI may gain the ability to walk. The condition has been described since ancient history. The Latinate term osteogenesis imperfecta was coined by Dutch anatomist Willem Vrolik in 1849; translated literally, it means "imperfect bone formation". : 683

Signs and symptoms
Orthopedic
The main symptom of osteogenesis imperfecta is fragile, low mineral density bones; all types of OI have some bone involvement. In moderate and especially severe OI, the long bones may be bowed, sometimes extremely so. The weakness of the bones causes them to fracture easily; a study in Pakistan found an average of 5.8 fractures per year in untreated children. Fractures typically occur much less after puberty, but begin to increase again in women after menopause and in men between the ages of 60 and 80.: 486 Joint hypermobility is also a common sign of OI, thought to be because the affected genes are the same as those that cause some types of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. : 1513

Otologic
By the age of 50, about 50% of adults with OI experience significant hearing loss, much earlier as compared to the general population. Hearing loss in OI may or may not be associated with visible deformities of the ossicles and inner ear. Hearing loss frequently begins during the second, third, and fourth decades of life, and may be conductive, sensorineural, or a combination of both ("mixed").
A child gets separated from their parents in a large crowd and gets lost. A child sticks their head between the bars of a fence and then cannot get back out. A child crawls into a hole and gets stuck, or cannot find their way back. A child is left in their parents car, truck, or van. A child is in a crowded area with no windows (a classroom, basement, etc.) and has run-ins with other people, or is put there as a means of punishment.The term past experiences, according to one author, can extend to the moment of birth. In John A. Speyrers "Claustrophobia and the Fear of Death and Dying", the reader is brought to the conclusion that claustrophobias high frequency is due to birth trauma, about which he says is "one of the most horrendous experiences we can have during our lifetime", and it is in this helpless moment that the infant develops claustrophobia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can trigger claustrophobia. An MRI scan entails lying still for some time in a narrow tube. In a study involving claustrophobia and MRI, it was reported that 13% of patients experienced a panic attack during the procedure. The procedure has been linked not only to the triggering of preexisting claustrophobia, but also to the onset of the condition in some people. Panic attacks experienced during the procedure can stop the person from adjusting to the situation, thereby perpetuating the fear. S.J. Rachman tells of an extreme example, citing the experience of 21 miners.