Clinical Management and Treatment of Polydactyly

Abstract

Objective: Polydactyly is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the hand and foot, and was first recorded in the hand in 1670. The extra digit rarely contains bone, and instead usually presents as a small piece of soft tissue. Polydactyly has been reported to occur three times more often than syndactyly. This study evaluated the treatment approaches to polydactyly, and the results of these treatments were assessed using clinical data. Material and Methods: In the last five years, 24 boys and 26 girls were admitted to our department with polydactyly. Twenty-seven patients were evaluated for hand polydactyly, and 20 patients were diagnosed with polydactyly of the foot; three patients demonstrated the condition in both extremities. Results: The mean age was six years (range: 1-14 years). All surgical procedures were performed under general anesthesia, and excision was carried out with a local anesthetic. The sutures were removed 10 to 12 days after the operation. There were no serious complications noted during the follow-up visits. Conclusion: The goal of surgery to correct polydactyly is to remove the nonfunctional component and reconstruct the remaining parts of the hand or foot. In patients with polydactyly, 25% require a second operation. In this study, we present the clinical results of 50 patients with polydactyly of the hand and/or foot. In conclusion, excision is adequate for simple cases, but realignment of the tendons, ligaments, or bone is also an important component in complex polydactyly cases.

Keywords

• Polydactyly
• hand
• foot
• anomaly