Familial osteochondritis dissecans associated with early osteoarthritis and disproportionate short stature

Familial osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a rare disorder characterised by disturbed chondro-skeletal development, disproportionate growth and deformation of the skeleton.

We identified a five-generation family with 15 living affected members from Northern Sweden. The disorder was diagnosed with a case definition of OCD in at least one joint.

Main clinical findings consisted of OCD in knees and/or hips and/or elbows, disproportionate short stature and early osteoarthritis (OA). There were no radiological indications of epiphyseal dysplasia. Anthropometric measurements of affected individuals showed short stature, a high ratio between sitting height and total height, a relatively normal arm span and head circumference. In 12 of 15 cases, onset was during late childhood or adolescence and OA had developed in seven of those patients.

Our observation suggests that OA is a frequent complication in familial OCD even though the lesions appear before closure of physis.