Bone dysplasias of infancy in the Vienna collection.

The Vienna Museum of Pathological Anatomy contains a vast collection of abnormal skeletons. We have appraised this material and attempted to establish firm diagnoses of specific genetic disorders in terms of modern syndromic concepts. A number of the skeletons in the museum are those of deceased neonates; in many instances it was impossible to reach a diagnosis on the basis of the outward appearance but radiographic investigations confirmed diagnoses including osteogenesis imperfecta type II, thanatophoric dysplasia, achondroplasia and achondrogenesis. The Vienna collection represents a priceless resource for the investigation of genetic skeletal disorders of this type.