Physical effects of malformed bones vary according to the specific disease. Many involve joint pain caused by abnormal bone alignment, or from nerve compression. Early degenerative joint disease, exaggerated lordosis or scoliosis, and constriction of spinal cord or nerve roots can cause pain and disability. Reduced thoracic size can restrict lung growth and reduce pulmonary function. Some forms of dwarfism are associated with disordered function of other organs, such as the brain or liver, sometimes severely enough to be more of an impairment than the unusual bone growth. Mental effects also vary according to the specific underlying syndrome. In most cases of skeletal dysplasia, such as achondroplasia, mental function is not impaired. However, there are syndromes which can affect the cranial structure and growth of the brain, severely impairing mental capacity. Unless the brain is directly affected by the underlying disorder, there is little to no chance of mental impairment that can be attributed to dwarfism.
physical effects of malformed bones vary according to the specific disease many involve joint pain caused by abnormal bone alignment or from nerve compression early degenerative joint disease exaggerated lordosis or scoliosis and constriction of spinal cord or nerve roots can cause pain and disability reduced thoracic size can restrict lung growth and reduce pulmonary function some forms of dwarfism are associated with disordered function of other organs such as the brain or liver sometimes severely enough to be more of an impairment than the unusual bone growth mental effects also vary according to the specific underlying syndrome in most cases of skeletal dysplasia such as achondroplasia mental function is not impaired however there are syndromes which can affect the cranial structure and growth of the brain severely impairing mental capacity unless the brain is directly affected by the underlying disorder there is little to no chance of mental impairment that can be attributed to dwarfism