UCSF Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Clinic

The UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital are recognized as world leaders in health care, known for innovative medicine, advanced technology and compassionate care. As an academic medical center, they are unlike community hospitals in that they offer pioneering treatments not widely available elsewhere. At their specialized Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Clinic, experts in both pediatric and adult orthopedics, orthopedic surgery and rheumatology are among the few in the country who readily diagnose and treat FOP. In addition, researchers at UCSF are investigating the rate of misdiagnosis of FOP and the most common causes for misdiagnosis. FOP is a rare genetic disorder that causes soft tissues to transform permanently into bone. These bones grow abnormally in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues, forming bridges of extra bone across the joints. As a result, movement in the areas affected by FOP is greatly restricted and sometimes impossible.