A 7-year-old boy is referred to the endocrine clinic with short stature, rhizomelic shortening of the arms and legs, a disproportionately long trunk, trident hands, midfacial hypoplasia, prominent forehead (frontal bossing), thoracolumbar gibbus, and megalencephaly. Radiological examination by MRI reveals caudal narrowing of the interpedicular spaces of T1 and T2 vertebrae and spinal stenosis at L2 to L4. Genetic analysis reveals a gain of function mutation, G1138A, in the fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 (FGFR3), band 4p16.3.His parents are requesting the initiation of treatmentwith growth hormone. The endocrinologist is concerned about harmful growth hormone effects: deposition of abnormally formed bone and worsening of the patient's kyphoscoliosis. During this child's postnatal development, which one of the following is the most likely effect of the FGFR3 gene mutation?