Cleft hand is congenital, meaning babies are born with the condition. It develops during pregnancy when the bones of the hand are forming. The exact cause is unknown, but scientists and doctors are learning more and more about the possible genetic causes (passed from parent to child).
The inheritance of cleft hand is autosomal dominant and has a variable penetrance of 70%. Cleft hand can be a spontaneous mutation during pregnancy (de novo mutation).
These malformations are usually observed in otherwise normal children, and often have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance.
Surgery is a common treatment for a hand deformity. Most procedures are performed early in a child's life. Orthopedic hand surgeons at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone recommend a surgical plan based on your child's age, the deformity he or she has, and how developed the hand is.
What causes cleft hand? Cleft hand is congenital, meaning babies are born with the condition. It develops during pregnancy when the bones of the hand are forming. The exact cause is unknown, but scientists and doctors are learning more and more about the possible genetic causes (passed from parent to child).
It is not known what causes these defects. There may be an inherited element or it may be the result of something that happened during the baby's development before birth.
Cleft hand refers to a group of congenital hand abnormalities in which the central bony elements are missing. It is the fifth most common congenital anomaly of the hand 1. The condition is known by different names like ectrodactyly, pincer split hand, lobster claw hand, crab claw hand and split hand complex.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth defects. In the United States: About 1 in every 1,600 babies is born with cleft lip and cleft palate. About 1 in every 2,800 babies is born with cleft lip without cleft palate.
In cases of typical cleft hand, the metacarpal or the proximal phalanx on either side of the cleft are longer than on the unaffected side. Conversely, in cases of atypical cleft hand, the hand pattern profile shows a dysplastic bone formation.
When an extra digit is located in the center of the hand, it is called central polydactyly. Polydactyly is the most common congenital hand deformity. It affects boys and girls equally. Black children are more likely to have ulnar polydactyly, and Asian and white children are more likely to have radial polydactyly.
Of the 1% to 2% of babies born with congenital defects, 10% are born with malformations to the hand. These anomalies occur in early pregnancy and are sometimes diagnosed by ultrasound during pregnancy.
This misshapen bone is called a “delta phalanx.” A delta phalanx may have a curved growth plate or more than one growth plate. Therefore, as the hand grows, the finger becomes more curved. Clinodactyly can be passed on from parent to child. It may also be part of a related condition, such as Down syndrome.
In this example, we will call the gene for cleft chin “B,” and the gene for smooth chin “b.” Cleft chin is a dominant trait, which means that having the dominant allele either from one parent (Bb) or both parents (BB) will always result in the phenotype associated with the dominant allele.
Congenital cleft hand (CCH) was originally classified as typical versus atypical cleft hand1. With the advancement of genetics and molecular biology, the atypical cleft hand was reclassified as a teratological sequence of symbrachydactyly2.
Lobster-claw deformity, also called ectrodactyly is an uncommon congenital presentation occurring in the hand due to longitudinal failure of development of second, third or fourth ray. It occurs in 1 to 4 newborns in 100,000 live births.
Published data were used to determine the rate of occurrence of cleft lip and/or palate in the Chinese population. The rate of occurrence ranged from 1.33 to 2.23 per 1000 live and stillbirths. Most studies were performed in communities with mixed racial groups, and only three obtained data from multiple sources.
"In the past in some Asian countries, it's been because of a deficiency in folic acid," Dr Prasad said. "A deficiency in folic acid can cause increased risk of neural tube defects, which can increase risk of cleft palate or craniofacial disorders," he said.
Cleft lip and palate is a common birth defect. It occurs together in 1 of every 1,000 babies, somewhat more in males than females. About 20% have the cleft lip only, 30% have cleft palate only, and 50% of children with a cleft lip will also have a cleft palate.
An ulnar cleft hand is a rare congenital deformity presenting with a cleft between the ring and little finger. It may be associated with the absence of a finger. The goals of treatment are cleft closure, increasing the length of the hypoplastic little finger and preservation of function.
A cleft palate may be either unilateral or bilateral and is either complete or incomplete (Fig. 1). A complete cleft of the entire palate involves the length of the primary and secondary palate. An incomplete cleft involves only the secondary palate.
Malformations: Malformations are abnormalities of formation and/or differentiation of the tissues. Examples are- brachydactyly, symbrachydactyly, syndactyly, polydactyly, cleft hand/ectrodactyly, apert hand etc.
Symbrachydactyly is visible when your baby is born or shortly after their birth. Your child's fingers will be short and webbed. In severe cases, your child's fingers will be small stumps of skin and soft tissue.
From physical therapy to prosthetic devices, and splints to surgery, there are many ways to help children and adults with congenital hand and upper extremity conditions. Dr. Fishman says many children will not need an intervention to improve function.
Condition Description. A reduction deformity is the congenital absence or shortening of a limb or part of a limb. This is sometimes caused by prenatal exposure to certain drugs, such as thalidomide, though often the cause is unknown. It is sometimes detected before birth on prenatal ultrasound.