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Syndactyly
Syndactyly (syn·dac·ty·ly) describes a congenital (present at birth) condition in which two or more fingers or toes are joined together.
What is syndactyly?
When two or more fingers or toes are webbed together, a child has a condition called syndactyly. It can occur sporadically or may be linked to one of about 300 diseases.
Polysyndactyly is a similar condition that refers to webbing plus the presence of extra fingers or toes.
What are the different types of syndactyly?
Depending on the fingers or toes that are webbed, there are several types of syndactyly, including:
- Simple - soft tissue joins fingers or toes
- Complex - bone and tissue join fingers or toes
- Complete - entire finger is fused
- Incomplete - fingers are joined partially
- Complicated – fingers or toes are joined in a manner that is not side-by-side
What are the causes of syndactyly?
When a baby develops in the womb, fingers and toes are webbed together, but then separate around the sixth to eighth week of development. Sometimes, the fingers and toes do not separate. Some cases are sporadic, while a genetic abnormality can cause others.
As many as 300 different conditions, including Down syndrome, have syndactyly as a symptom.