Many congenital deformities affect the hand and the upper
extremity. The most common of which are Syndactyly
(webbed fingers) and Polydactyly (extra digits). These
are diagnosed at birth and are best treated before twelve
to eighteen months of age, at which point, hand dominance
is selected. The procedure for Syndactyly involves
release of the fingers with skin grafting as needed to
compensate for deficits in skin coverage. Polydactyly
procedure involves excision of the supranumery digits,
be it an extra thumb or small finger. The recovery
time is approximately four to six weeks for Syndactyly
release to allow for healing of the skin grafts and approximately
two weeks for Polydactyly excision.
