Patients with a small thumb- a hypoplastic thumb- often have functional limitations due to limited muscle development and a lack of joint stability. Therapy is always the first line of treatment but is often unsuccessful with this anomaly. We therefore often proceed with surgical reconstruction. I have previously blogged about the surgical choices and recently posted a video of function after surgery. In this post, I wanted to share anoth brief video on what a successful surgical result look like, at the early time point of 2 months. This patient was already thrilled with his thumb motion and strength and demonstrates excellent motion of the thumb. As you watch the video, note the surgical scars (still maturing) as well as the lack of muscle around the thumb (defining the hypoplastic thumb).
Charles A. Goldfarb, MD