Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder of bone growth that can affect anybody, regardless of race or sex.

Conditions where bones do not grow and develop normally are called skeletal dyplasias or chondrodystrophies. More than 100 specific skeletal dyplasius have been identified and achondroplasia is the most common.

This child has achondroplasia, as evidenced by his disproportionately larger head.

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Psychological problems may arise because of the patient's difficulty in accepting his or her relatively short stature.

Have you ever gone to a theme park with an older sibling who could not go on the rides because of his or her height?
While people with Achondroplasia live normal lives, the seemingly insignificant things around them may make them feel like the world is geared toward a taller person.

Achondroplasia's depiction in ancient Egyptian art makes it one of the oldest recorded birth defects.

Click here to find out the origin of the word achondroplasia

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