Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also known as Brittle Bone Disorder, is a disease that results from lack of a protein called collagen.  In order to be considered a rare disease less than 200,000 people can be affected in the United States. Although we do not have a specific number, we have merely a range of 20,000 to 50,000 Americans suffering from OI.  Brittle Bone does not affect a certain race or ethnicity, but it comes from a mutation of a gene.  New studies have brought to light a mutated gene ,called the CRTAP gene, which may result in a type of brittle bone.