Diastrophic dysplasia is a disorder of cartilage and bone development. Affected individuals have short stature with very short arms and legs and joint problems that restrict mobility. This condition is also characterized by an inward- and downward-turning foot (called clubfoot), progressive curvature of the spine, and unusually positioned thumbs (hitchhiker thumbs). About half of infants with diastrophic dysplasia are born with an opening in the roof of the mouth called a cleft palate. Swelling of the external ears is also common in newborns and can lead to thickened, deformed ears. The signs and symptoms of diastrophic dysplasia are similar to those of another skeletal disorder called atelosteogenesis, type 2. Diastrophic dysplasia tends to be less severe, however.