Classification
Dwarfism is a medical disorder. In humans, the sole requirement is being an adult height under 147 cm (4 ft 10 in) and it is almost always classified as to the underlying condition that is the cause for the short stature. Dwarfism is usually caused by a genetic disorder; achondroplasia is caused by a mistake on chromosome four. If dwarfism is caused by a medical disorder, the person is referred to by the underlying diagnosed disorder. Disorders causing dwarfism are often classified by proportionality. Disproportionate dwarfism describes disorders that cause unusual proportions of the body parts, while proportionate dwarfism results in a generally uniform stunting of the body.
Disorders that cause dwarfism may be classified according to one of hundreds of names, which are usually permutations of the following roots:
- location
- rhizomelic = root, e.g., bones of the upper arm or thigh
- mesomelic = middle, e.g., bones of the forearm or lower leg
- acromelic = end, e.g., bones of hands and feet.
- micromelic = entire limbs are shortened
- source
- chondro = of cartilage
- osteo = of bone
- spondylo = of the vertebrae
- plasia = form
- trophy = growth
Examples include achondroplasia, osseous dysplasia, chondrodystrophy, and osteochondrodystrophy.
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