National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Acheiropody


Other Names:
Acheiropodia; ACHP; Acheiropody, Brazilian type
Categories:
Acheiropody is a very rare condition characterized by bilateral, congenital amputations of the hands and feet. Individuals with this condition are born with complete amputation of the distal humeral epiphysis (end of the upper arm bone) and tibial diaphysis (mid-section of the shin bone), and aplasia (lack of development) of the radius, ulna, fibula, and of all the bones of the hands and feet. The condition appears to affect only the extremities, with no other signs and symptoms reported.[1] It is caused by a defect in the LMBR1 gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[2] Walking may be possible for individuals with acheiropody with well-fitted prostheses.[3] With the exception of a couple of affected individuals in Puerto Rico, all other reported cases have occurred in Brazil.[1]
Last updated: 1/31/2011

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
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HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of epiphysis morphology
Abnormal shape of end part of bone
0005930
Abnormality of the metaphysis
Abnormality of the wide portion of a long bone
0000944
Absent forearm 0005632
Absent hand 0004050
Absent metatarsal bone
Absent long bone of foot
0010744
Absent radius
Missing outer large bone of forearm
0003974
Absent toe 0010760
Aplasia of metacarpal bones
Absent long bone of hand
0010048
Aplasia of the phalanges of the hand 0009802
Aplasia of the tarsal bones
Absent ankle bone
0010509
Aplasia of the ulna 0003982
Carpal bone aplasia 0004231
Fibular aplasia
Absent calf bone
0002990
Lower limb peromelia 0009820
Short humerus
Short long bone of upper arm
Short upper arms
[ more ] 		0005792
Short tibia
Short shinbone
Short skankbone
[ more ] 		0005736
Upper limb phocomelia 0009813
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
Acheiropody is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This means that an individual with the condition has two changed (mutated) copies of the gene that causes the condition in each cell. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they usually do not show signs and symptoms of the condition; they are referred to as "carriers." When two people who are carriers of an autosomal recessive condition have a child, there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance that the child will have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) chance that the child will be a carrier like each of the parents, and a 25% chance that the child will not have the condition and not be a carrier.
Last updated: 1/31/2011

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Acheiropody. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • Do you have information on acheiropody? See answer


  1. P. Ianakiev et al. Acheiropodia Is Caused by a Genomic Deletion in C7orf2, the Human Orthologue of the Lmbr1 Gene. American Journal of Human Genetics. January 2001; 68(1):38-45. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1234933/?tool=pubmed. Accessed 1/31/2011.
  2. LMBR1. Genetics Home Reference. January 23, 2011; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/LMBR1. Accessed 1/31/2011.
  3. Acheiropodia. Orphanet. February 2005; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/Disease_Search_Simple.php?lng=EN. Accessed 1/31/2011.