A novel mutation of COL2A1 in a large Chinese family with avascular necrosis of the femoral head

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is a debilitating bone disease, characterized by collapse of the femoral head and subsequent loss of hip joint function. Heterozygous mutations in COL2A1 have been identified to cause familial ANFH. Here we report on a large Chinese family with ANFH and a novel heterozygous mutation (c.3517 G > A, p.Gly1173Ser) in exon 50 of COL2A1 in the Gly-X–Y domain. Previously, only five different COL2A1 mutations have been described in patients with familial ANFH. Therefore, our findings provide significant clues to the phenotype–genotype relationships in familial ANFH and may be helpful in clinical diagnosis. Furthermore, these results should assist further studies of the mechanisms underlying collagen diseases.