Introduction:
Congenital malformations occur in approx. 2–4% of newborns. The Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations, operating in Poland since 1997, enables the monitoring of malformations in the Polish population. Analysis of the regional differences in the incidence of malformations may be important in the search for risk factors and analysis of prevention activities in the area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of the birth of newborns with congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system in the Silesian region in relation to the rest of the Polish territory included in the register.

Material and methods:
The current work was based on data from the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations for 2001–2006. The study group consisted of children up to 2 years of age who were diagnosed with malformation, as well as still-born children with congenital malformations and those diagnosed with a defect in the prenatal period. All the statistical analyzes were performed using the software Epi Info 7.

Results:
The incidence of congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system in Silesia was higher than in the rest of the Polish territory in all the analyzed years except for 2003. The greatest increase in the risk was found for Q68 and Q67 defects. The incidence of congenital malformations in Silesia showed a downward trend in the period from 2001 to 2006.

Conclusions:
Congenital malformations of musculoskeletal disorders occurred more frequently in the Upper Silesia region than in the rest of the Polish territory in all the analyzed years except for 2003.