Pseudoachondroplasia is characterized by normal length at birth and normal facies. Often the presenting feature is a waddling gait, recognized at the onset of walking. Typically, the growth rate falls below the standard growth curve by approximately age two years, leading to a moderately severe form of disproportionate short-limb short stature. Joint pain during childhood, particularly in the large joints of the lower extremities, is common. Degenerative joint disease is progressive; approximately 50% of individuals with pseudoachondroplasia eventually require hip replacement surgery.

Wolcott-Rallison syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by permanent neonatal or early infancy insulin-dependent diabetes. Epiphyseal dysplasia, osteoporosis, and growth retardation develop at a later age. Other frequent multisystem manifestations include hepatic and renal dysfunction, mental retardation, and cardiovascular abnormalities (summary by Delepine et al., 2000).

Lowry-Wood syndrome (LWS) is characterized by multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and microcephaly. Patients exhibit intrauterine growth retardation and short stature, as well as developmental delay and intellectual disability. Retinal degeneration has been reported in some patients (Farach et al., 2018; Shelihan et al., 2018). Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type I (MOPD1; 210710) and Roifman syndrome (RFMN; 616651), the features of which overlap with those of Lowry-Wood syndrome, are also caused by biallelic mutation in the RNU4ATAC gene.

Sponastrime dysplasia is an autosomal recessive spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia (SEMD) named for characteristic clinical and radiographic findings, including spine (spondylar) abnormalities, midface hypoplasia with a depressed nasal bridge, and striation of the metaphyses. Additional features include disproportionate short stature with exaggerated lumbar lordosis, scoliosis, coxa vara, limited elbow extension, small dysplastic epiphyses, childhood cataracts, short dental roots, and hypogammaglobulinemia. Radiographically, the abnormalities of the lumbar vertebral bodies are suggested to be the most specific finding because the characteristic metaphyseal striations may not be apparent at young ages. Striking clinical variability in presentation, severity, and associated features has been observed (summary by Burrage et al., 2019).

Autosomal dominant multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) presents in early childhood, usually with pain in the hips and/or knees after exercise. Affected children complain of fatigue with long-distance walking. Waddling gait may be present. Adult height is either in the lower range of normal or mildly shortened. The limbs are relatively short in comparison to the trunk. Pain and joint deformity progress, resulting in early-onset osteoarthritis, particularly of the large weight-bearing joints.

The Borochowitz-Cormier-Daire type of spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia (SEMDBCD) is a rare type of autosomal recessive short-limb short-trunk dwarfism. Affected individuals have significant short stature with pronounced leg bowing, lumbar lordosis, and a waddling gait (summary by Borochowitz et al., 2004 and Shyamasundar et al., 2020).

CHST3-related skeletal dysplasia is characterized by short stature of prenatal onset, joint dislocations (knees, hips, radial heads), clubfeet, and limitation of range of motion that can involve all large joints. Kyphosis and occasionally scoliosis with slight shortening of the trunk develop in childhood. Minor heart valve dysplasia has been described in several persons. Intellect and vision are normal.

Autosomal dominant multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) presents in early childhood, usually with pain in the hips and/or knees after exercise. Affected children complain of fatigue with long-distance walking. Waddling gait may be present. Adult height is either in the lower range of normal or mildly shortened. The limbs are relatively short in comparison to the trunk. Pain and joint deformity progress, resulting in early-onset osteoarthritis, particularly of the large weight-bearing joints.

Autosomal dominant multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) presents in early childhood, usually with pain in the hips and/or knees after exercise. Affected children complain of fatigue with long-distance walking. Waddling gait may be present. Adult height is either in the lower range of normal or mildly shortened. The limbs are relatively short in comparison to the trunk. Pain and joint deformity progress, resulting in early-onset osteoarthritis, particularly of the large weight-bearing joints.

X-linked spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia with hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (SEMDHL) is an X-linked recessive developmental disorder characterized by slowly progressive skeletal and neurologic abnormalities, including short stature, large and deformed joints, significant motor impairment, visual defects, and sometimes cognitive deficits. Affected individuals typically have normal early development in the first year or so of life, followed by development regression and the development of symptoms. Brain imaging shows white matter abnormalities consistent with hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (summary by Miyake et al., 2017).

Autosomal dominant multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) presents in early childhood, usually with pain in the hips and/or knees after exercise. Affected children complain of fatigue with long-distance walking. Waddling gait may be present. Adult height is either in the lower range of normal or mildly shortened. The limbs are relatively short in comparison to the trunk. Pain and joint deformity progress, resulting in early-onset osteoarthritis, particularly of the large weight-bearing joints.

Spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia with joint laxity type 2 (SEMDJL2) is characterized by short stature, distinctive midface retrusion, progressive knee malalignment (genu valgum and/or varum), generalized ligamentous laxity, and mild spinal deformity. Intellectual development is not impaired. Radiographic characteristics include significantly retarded epiphyseal ossification that evolves into epiphyseal dysplasia and precocious osteoarthritis, metaphyseal irregularities and vertical striations, constricted femoral neck, slender metacarpals and metatarsals, and mild thoracolumbar kyphosis or scoliosis with normal or mild platyspondyly (summary by Min et al., 2011). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of SEMD with joint laxity, see SEMDJL1 (271640).

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia of the Genevieve type (SEMDG) is characterized by infantile-onset severe developmental delay and skeletal dysplasia, including short stature, premature carpal ossification, platyspondyly, longitudinal metaphyseal striations, and small epiphyses (summary by van Karnebeek et al., 2016).

Disorder with manifestations of moderate-to-severe metaphyseal changes, mild epiphyseal involvement, rhizomelic shortening of the lower limbs with bowing of the femora and/or tibiae, coxa vara, genu varum and pear-shaped vertebrae in childhood. The syndrome has been described in a large Missouri (US) kindred with 14 affected members in 4 generations. Though some spontaneous improvement of the skeletal defects may occur in adolescence, the affected individuals remained shorter than their age-matched unaffected siblings. Predisposition deformities to osteoarthritis have been noted. This condition is caused by mutation in the MMP13 gene (locus 11q22.3) and transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner.

An extremely rare type of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia described in about 5 patients to date with clinical signs including short stature, peculiar facies with blepharophimosis, upward slanted eyes, abundant eyebrows and eyelashes, coarse voice, and short hands and feet.

Autosomal dominant multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) presents in early childhood, usually with pain in the hips and/or knees after exercise. Affected children complain of fatigue with long-distance walking. Waddling gait may be present. Adult height is either in the lower range of normal or mildly shortened. The limbs are relatively short in comparison to the trunk. Pain and joint deformity progress, resulting in early-onset osteoarthritis, particularly of the large weight-bearing joints.

The cartilage-hair hypoplasia – anauxetic dysplasia (CHH-AD) spectrum disorders are a continuum that includes the following phenotypes: Metaphyseal dysplasia without hypotrichosis (MDWH). Cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH). Anauxetic dysplasia (AD). CHH-AD spectrum disorders are characterized by severe disproportionate (short-limb) short stature that is usually recognized in the newborn, and occasionally prenatally because of the short extremities. Other findings include joint hypermobility, fine silky hair, immunodeficiency, anemia, increased risk for malignancy, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and impaired spermatogenesis. The most severe phenotype, AD, has the most pronounced skeletal phenotype, may be associated with atlantoaxial subluxation in the newborn, and may include cognitive deficiency. The clinical manifestations of the CHH-AD spectrum disorders are variable, even within the same family.

Short stature, amelogenesis imperfecta, and skeletal dysplasia with scoliosis (SSASKS)is characterized by disproportionate short stature, defective tooth enamel formation, and skeletal dysplasia with severe scoliosis in some patients. Variable features include facial dysmorphism, moderate hearing impairment, and mildly impaired intellectual development (Ashikov et al., 2018).

Odontochondrodysplasia-1 (ODCD1) is characterized by mesomelic shortening of tubular bones, ligamentous laxity, and scoliosis, in association with dentinogenesis imperfecta involving both primary and secondary dentition. Affected individuals show variable severity. Radiologic features include trident pelvis, posteriorly flattened vertebrae, and brachydactyly with cone-shaped epiphyses (Maroteaux et al., 1996). Clinical variability and extraskeletal manifestations have been observed (Wehrle et al., 2019). Genetic Heterogeneity of Odontochondrodysplasia Odontochondrodysplasia-2 with hearing loss and diabetes (ODCD2; 619269) is caused by mutation in the TANGO1 gene (MIA3; 613455) on chromosome 1q41.

A rare genetic multiple congenital anomalies/dysmorphic syndrome with characteristics of global developmental delay and intellectual disability, progressive spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, short stature, short fourth metatarsals and dysmorphic craniofacial features (including microcephaly, hypertelorism, epicanthal folds, mild ptosis, strabismus, malar hypoplasia, short nose, depressed nasal bridge, full lips, small, low-set ears and short neck). Craniosynostosis, generalized hypotonia, as well as asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres and mild thinning of the corpus callosum on brain imaging have also been described.

Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy-26 with chondrodysplasia (HLD26) is characterized by severe psychomotor delay, predominantly involving motor and expressive language development, with cerebral and cerebellar atrophy and corpus callosum hypoplasia. In addition, patients show pre- and postnatal growth retardation, early-onset scoliosis, and dislocations of large joints (Guasto et al., 2022). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of HLD, see HLD1 (312080).