Congenital Defects of the Hand and Wrist
What are Congenital Defects of the Hand and Wrist?
The hand and wrist are formed during the 8th week of gestation. This process consists of various steps and failure in any one or more of these steps may cause congenital or birth defects. The deformities may be major (absence of a bone) or minor (disproportion of a finger).
Types of Congenital Defects of the Hand and Wrist
The various types of hand and wrist defects include:
- Missing parts of the hand
- Webbed or fused fingers (syndactyly)
- Presence of extra fingers (polydactyl)
- Congenital constriction band syndrome (formation of a band of tissue around a finger, restricting normal growth and blood flow)
- Undergrowth or overgrowth of the different parts of the hand
Treatments for Congenital Defects of the Hand and Wrist
The congenital conditions of the hand and wrist are treated based on various factors such as your child’s age, severity of the condition and cause of the condition. The different treatments include:
- Surgical separation of the webbed fingers
- Removal of the extra finger
- Use of splints to realign the fingers
- Tendon transfers
- Physical therapy to increase the strength in your hand
- Skin grafts to fill in the missing parts of the hand
- Correction of contractures
Related Topics
- Pediatric Forearm Fracture
- Wrist Fracture
- Fractures of the Hand and Fingers
- Wrist Sprain
- Flexor Tendon Injuries
- Mallet Finger
- Finger Sprain
- Thumb Fracture
- Scaphoid Facture
- Finger Dislocation
- Adult Forearm Fractures
- Arthritis of the Hand and Wrist
- Forearm Fractures in Children
- Arthritis of the Thumb
- Ganglion Cyst
- Boutonniere Deformity
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- De Quervain's Tendinosis
- Dupuytren's Contracture
- Trigger Finger
- Congenital Defects of the Hand and Wrist
- Hand Pain
- Hand Infections
- Wrist Injuries
- Wrist Tumors
- Gamekeeper's Thumb
- Hand Tumors
- Extensor Tendon Injuries
- Fingertip Injuries
- Wrist Ligament Tear and Instability
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint Arthritis
- Malunion of a Fracture