Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal dominant bone disorder characterized by growth of benign multiple exostoses. In our present study, we describe a four-generation Han Chinese kindred with eight members affected by HME. Haplotyping analysis and mutation detection was performed. The results linked the disease-causing gene to the EXT1 locus on chromosome 8. A novel mutation in EXT1, c.1897delC, which cosegregated with the disease phenotype, was detected. To further confirm this mutation, a mismatch primer was designed to introduce a ScaI restriction site into the normal allele by polymerase chain reaction, and the following restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis demonstrated that the mutation was not detected in any unaffected individuals of the family or 100 unrelated Han Chinese control individuals. This mutation leads to a frameshift from codon 633, resulting in a premature termination at codon 642 and loss of the highly conserved C terminal region of the protein. Therefore, this heterozygous mutation must be classified as pathogenic and can be regarded as the cause of HME in this Chinese family.