Whence the arthrogrypotics?
During the course of a nation-wide survey of patients with bone and joint deformities, twenty-six individuals with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, in the narrow and precise sense of the term, were investigated. No patient was more than twenty-four years of age. However, on a basis of the figures of population, it can be estimated that 21-0 +/- 6-5 older affected individuals should have been encountered. Furthermore, there was a relative excess of younger children. The series was reasonably unbiased, and as arthrogryposis is non-lethal the deficiency of affected adults is an anomalous finding. It is tentatively suggested that arthrogryposis might result from the intra-uterine influence of an unknown environmental agent which has been present in South Africa for only a limited period of time. Detection of this factor could be an important step in the prevention of the disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001176:Arthrogryposis / Q000196:embryology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013019:South Africa