Arthrogryposis: a review and update.

C ongenital contractures can be divided into two groups: isolated contractures and multiple contractures (Fig. 1). Isolated congenital contractures affect only a single area of the body; the most common isolated contracture is congenital clubfoot, which occurs in one of every 500 live births. The term arthrogryposis is often used as shorthand to describe multiple congenital contractures that affect two or more different areas of the body. Arthrogryposis is not a specific diagnosis, but rather a clinical finding, and it is a characteristic of more than 300 different disorders. The overall prevalence of arthrogryposis is one in 3000 live births. The inheritance, natural history, treatment guidelines, and outcomes of arthrogryposis vary among disorders, underscoring the importance of making a specific diagnosis in each child. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of knowledge about the classification, etiology, and management of children with various types of arthrogryposis.