Skin Contracture and Z-plasty Correction

The field of hand surgery was developed around the time of World War II combining the fields of orthopedics (care of bones, joints, tendons, muscle), plastic surgery (care of skin, soft tissues, and nerves) and vascular surgery (care of blood vessels).  Given the very complex anatomy of the hand, wrist, and forearm, the concept of […]

Separating joined fingers: A Case Demonstration of a New Strategy

Surgery to separate joined fingers has been largely unchanged for 40 years.  This post is meant to share case pictures and details on this new strategy. Syndactyly, or the abnormal joining of the fingers, is one of the most common birth anomalies of the hands and feet.  In our recent assessment of birth anomalies in NY […]

Ulnar Deficiency and Syndactyly

Ulnar deficiency (or ulnar longitudinal deficiency) is much less common that radial deficiency, possibly only 1 case of ulnar deficiency per 10 of radial deficiency.  And it is much different in the problems that it may cause.  The forearm abnormality can include a deficient or absent ulna and flexor muscles BUT, it is much better […]

Scarring after Syndactyly

Syndactyly, or the fusion of digits, is a condition present at birth and is related to the failure of the fingers to separate in utero.  I have previously blogged about this condition, as seen here.  There are different surgical techniques to correct syndactyly and generally good results are obtained, no matter the technique.   Scarring is […]

Amniotic Constriction Band

Amniotic constriction band is an uncommon condition about which I have previously blogged  ACB Blog Link .  There are numerous good general descriptions on the Internet including the following: Shriners LinkMedline Plus The difficulty is that there is little precise information on the upper extremity and hand finding in Amniotic Constriction Band.  There are numerous reasons […]

Toe syndactyly, more thoughts

I have previously posted on toe syndactyly with an example of a surgical case.  http://congenitalhand.wustl.edu/search/label/Syndactyly While this was a fascinating case with a very satisfying outcome, it is unusual.  Most cases of toe syndactyly involve the lesser toes (toes 2-5) and have little functional or appearance issues.  This type of toe syndactyly involving the lesser […]