Osteochondritis dissecans in association with dwarfism.

The cause of osteochondritis dissecans is still disputed. Axhausen (1912) suggested that the lesion could be embolic in origin, but Fairbank (1933) and Smillie (1951) believed that trauma was more likely to be responsible. The occurrence of multiple joint lesions, with a hereditary tendency, was demonstrated by Bernstein (1925), by Wagoner and Cohn (1931), by Gardiner (1955), and by Pick (1955) who all described families in which two or more members were suffering from the disease. The occasional occurrence of multiple joint lesions in association with dwarfism has been reported, and Roberts and Hughes (1950) noted that one of their patients was a dwarf. Pick mentioned that the members of the family he described were under average height. No biochemical investigations have been recorded except in the one case described by Hay (1950).