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Living with Kyphomelic dysplasia

A skeletal condition present before birth with short stature, a narrow chest, and short, bowed arms and legs.

Understanding Kyphomelic dysplasia

Kyphomelic dysplasia is a prenatal bone condition that causes disproportionate short stature, with shortened and bowed limbs.

People have a short, narrow chest, shortened and bending limbs, flared bone ends (metaphyses), and distinctive facial features. Bone changes are said to improve with age. GARD notes that recent studies suggest it is no longer its own condition, and individual cases should be re-evaluated and re-classified as another condition, such as Schwartz-Jampel syndrome. It starts during pregnancy or in newborns.

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:

  • Short stature with short limbs
  • Short, narrow chest
  • Bowed arm and leg bones
  • Stiff joints
  • Small lower jaw (micrognathia)
  • Wavy or missing ribs

Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Diagnosis

  1. Talk with your doctor

    Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.

  2. See a specialist

    Specialists who may be involved include bone and joint specialists and genetic specialists.

  3. Consider genetic testing

    Changes in CCN2 are linked to this condition. Genetic testing and counseling can help confirm a diagnosis and explain what it means for your family.

  4. Connect with expert centers

    Little People of America may keep lists of experts for this condition.

Care & treatment

Care team
Bone and joint specialists (orthopedists or orthopedic surgeons); Genetic specialists (geneticists)
Expert care
Expert lists: Little People of America
Treatment
GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
Research
Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.

General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.

Everyday life

Living with a rare condition is easier with support.

  • Connect with Little People of America
  • Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
  • Ask about patient registries that help research
  • Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
Could my child's diagnosis be re-classified, for example as Schwartz-Jampel syndrome?
Can genetic testing give a more exact diagnosis?
Which specialists should follow bones and breathing?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startduring Pregnancy and as a Newborn
InheritanceAutosomal Recessive
GenesCCN2

Changes in the CCN2 gene are listed. It is autosomal recessive, meaning a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent.

Genetic

Also known as: kmd

Patient organizations

Source: NIH GARD · Kyphomelic dysplasiaGARD ID 10149 · GARD page updated September 2026 · Plain-language summary by Know Rare; editorial review pending. General information, not medical advice.

You are more than your diagnosis

Perspectives from people navigating life with Kyphomelic dysplasia.

Explore the Kyphomelic dysplasia blog

Explore research for Kyphomelic dysplasia

Explore actively recruiting Kyphomelic dysplasia studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Kyphomelic dysplasia with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.

  • Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
  • Share your city to look for research near you
  • Eligibility is confirmed by the study team

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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.

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