This hand condition, scientifically called ‘symbrachydactyly’ (sim-brak″e-dak´tĭ-le), is characterized by the presence of abnormally short fingers that are sometimes webbed or conjoined. Most children with this upper limb deficiency have the “short finger” type in which the thumb is essentially normal, but the remaining fingers are short, stiff and may be webbed for some. In other cases, only the thumb, or the thumb and little finger, are present. In more severe cases, all fingers are missing and small ‘nubbins’ of skin and soft-tissue (little stumps) are located where the fingers would have developed. Research is in continuation to further the understanding of why this happens.

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Accordingly to The International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH), there are 7 different classifications of symbrachydactyly, which are,

1. short finger
2. cleft type (thumb and small finger present)
3. peromelic (nubbins)
4. monodactyly (only the thumb present)
5. wrist bones present (but nothing more distal)
6. wrist bones absent (ie, arm ends at the end of the forearm)
7. transforearm (amputation at mid forearm level)

 

From the statistics, this limb difference only occurs in every 30,000 to 40,000 births. It will not be passed down in families genetically (inherited). If you have a child with ‘symbrachydactyly’, you are not at any greater risk of having another child with the condition.

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Adapted from online references:

https://www.ifssh.info

https://www.luckyfinproject.org