Bone dysplasias in orthopedic practice

The paper presents a review of rare but important orthopedic diseases--osteochondrodysplasias. The authors stress both the clinical and radiological variety of these deformations. Some kinds of osteochondrodysplasia are clearly defined clinical entities, while in other cases the clinical presentation is so variable that it is very difficult to make a diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is very important in order to assess the inheritance pattern, clinical course and possible complications. Clinical and radiological examination are the cornerstones in making a diagnosis. The paper contains a list of radiograms necessary for a correct diagnosis. In many cases the diagnostic process must include highly specific biochemical and genetic tests.