It occurs in one out of every 500 births and can appear in several forms:
. A small bump on the side of the hand.
. A finger that is widened at the end and has two nails.
. An extra finger that hangs from the side of the hand by a thin base.
. A normal-looking hand with one thumb and five other fingers,
. and many other forms.
In terms of location, the extra finger is mostly on the side of the little finger, but it can also be on the side of the thumb. Rarely, the extra finger is placed between the middle fingers.
The extra toe may just be extra skin. It may also have bones. It may have one or several bony ligaments or even its bone may articulate with the bones of the palm. Sometimes, a finger splits into two branches at the end and turns into two fingers. Polydactyly can occur at any level, sometimes it has a very natural appearance, and sometimes there is polydactyly in the hands and feet at the same time..
Cause of polydactyly or multiple fingers
In embryonic time, the hand is first in the shape of a paddle, and then cracks are created in parts of it and the fingers are separated. Sometimes the fingers don’t separate properly, resulting in a hand with two or more fingers joined together, called syndactyly..
Sometimes more than four cracks are created and as a result more than five fingers are formed, which is called “polydactyly”. Sometimes these two things happen together.
Polydactyly or multiple fingers is sometimes hereditary, but in most cases it occurs spontaneously without a family background. Sometimes multiple fingers are accompanied by other congenital abnormalities such as blood or heart diseases, so any child with this problem should be examined by a doctor..
Treatment of extra fingers or polydactyly
The treatment of this abnormality is surgery and removal of the extra finger. When this extra finger is on the side of the thumb, usually the best time for surgery and removing it is one and a half years old. Surgery should not be done after the age of five. When the extra toe is on the side of the little finger, it is better to have surgery and remove it at around one year of age, and when the extra toe is in the middle of the other fingers, it is better to remove it when the child is six months old. Tying the finger with a thread to remove it may cause heavy bleeding and is a dangerous procedure. The best way to remove the extra finger by surgery
by a doctor.
Mehrdad Mansouri- Orthopedic specialist
Source: Elo Doctor
