Progress report: growth hormone in skeletal dysplasia

Growth hormone is not a logical treatment for the short stature associated with skeletal dysplasia because growth hormone concentrations are normal in these individuals. Short-term trials of growth hormone have demonstrated an increase in growth velocity in most of the skeletal dysplasias. Only in the skeletal dysplasia associated with Turner syndrome do we have data confirming that growth hormone treatment results in an increase in final height. Studies in achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia have demonstrated an increase in growth velocity which has been sustained for up to 4 and 6 years, respectively. In the long term, increased knowledge of the defects involved in skeletal dysplasia may lead us to improvements in both diagnosis and treatment.