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Syndactyly is a birth defect in which two or more fingers or toes are joined together by soft tissue or, in extreme cases, bone. It results from incomplete finger separation in foetal development and usually happens between the 6th and 8th weeks of pregnancy. Syndactyly can involve one or both hands and can be confined to the skin (simple syndactyly) or involve deeper structures such as bone, tendon, and nail (complicated syndactyly).

It can be an independent aberration or associated with hereditary syndromes, such as the Apert or Poland syndromes. Severity varies greatly, with some having little or no functional impairment to some with difficulty with fine motor skills and hand function. Diagnosis is normally made at birth by physical examination and sometimes by imaging techniques such as X-rays to assess the involvement of the underlying bone.

Treatment is mostly a surgical separation of the fused digits, commonly performed in early childhood to optimise hand function and development. Skin grafts may be needed to cover the divided areas. Most patients achieve excellent functional and cosmetic results with appropriate intervention, and they experience better dexterity and quality of life.