Congenital anomalies

Hand surgery

Congenital anomalies of the hand occur in 18 out of 10,000 live births, with a higher prevalence in premature newborns. As many as 50% of congenital anomalies of the hand are polydactylies and syndactylies.

Polydactyly is the existence of a sixth finger, most often beside the 4th (“pinky”) finger or the thumb. The supernumerary finger may occur only in the form of a soft-tissue appendage, or may contain all bones, tendons, and neurovascular structures like a normal finger. In order to achieve optimal functioning of the hand, the surgical treatment is recommended to be done during the first year of life.

Syndactyly is a congenital anomaly in the form of fingers joined together. It occurs in 1 out of 2,000 live births, and is twice as common in boys. It can be classified as simple, complex, or complicated, and most commonly involves the 2nd (middle) and 3rd (ring) fingers. Depending on the type of syndactyly, the surgical treatment is best performed between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. In one surgical act only one side of the finger is separated, and the plastic-reconstructive procedure includes multiple Z-plasties as well as the use of full-thickness skin grafts.