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Ulnar clinodactyly syndrome

Ulnar clinodactyly syndrome



Overview

Clinodactyly is a minor bone malformation where your finger curves at the joint closest to your nail and bends toward your other fingers like a hook. It most often affects your fifth digit (pinky finger), but it can happen to any finger or toe. The curve is the result of your finger bone growing in a different shape than it should. It may be present at birth or it may happen as a result of injury to a growing finger in childhood.

It’s normal for fingers to curve at an angle less than 10 degrees. Clinodactyly specifically refers to finger curves at angles greater than 10 degrees.

Symptoms

Symptoms of clinodactyly appear in a finger on your hand. The condition can be present at birth (congenital) even if symptoms aren’t noticeable until early childhood when the bones grow and start to mature. Clinodactyly could appear on one or both of your hands and on any one finger. The condition also affects toes. Symptoms of clinodactyly include:

Finger curves like a hook or the letter C (at an angle greater than 10 degrees).

Curved finger bends toward other fingers (often the pinky finger pointing toward the ring finger).

Finger bends between the two knuckles in your finger.

Finger could overlap with other fingers on your hand.

The bent finger doesn’t cause pain or swelling.

Individuals with clinodactyly are still able to use their fingers normally. Although rare, if the curve in your finger is greater than a 30-degree angle, you’ll have a limited range of motion in the affected finger and you may need surgery to correct it.

Causes

An abnormally shaped bone in your finger causes clinodactyly.

There are usually three bones (phalanges) in your second (index or pointer), third (middle), fourth (ring) and fifth (pinky) digits. The bones stack on top of each other, forming two joints. Sometimes the bone in the middle of your finger, between your middle knuckle and the furthest knuckle from your wrist (distal), grows in the shape of a wedge (trapezoid or triangle) instead of growing in the shape of a rectangle. When the bone grows incorrectly, the bones can’t stack in a straight line, which gives your finger a curve at its end

Is clinodactyly inherited?

There are several factors that cause clinodactyly, including inheriting the trait.

Clinodactyly can occur because of an injury that happens to your finger when your bones are still growing. It can stunt the growth of your finger bone. Instead of growing in the normal rectangular shape, the bone grows into the shape of a wedge.

More common, clinodactyly isn’t related to an injury. It can occur randomly or you can inherit the trait from your parents. If one of your parents has the gene that causes clinodactyly, they pass that gene onto you in an autosomal dominant genetic pattern. This means that if you get that gene from a parent, you will also have clinodactyly. Sometimes clinodactyly is a symptom of a more complex genetic condition with additional symptoms present.

What conditions have clinodactyly as a symptom?

Several genetic conditions affect bone growth and cause clinodactyly as a symptom. These conditions include:

Down syndrome.

Fanconi anemia.

Klinefelter syndrome.

Turner syndrome.

Triple X syndrome.

Diagnosis 

Your healthcare provider will diagnose clinodactyly after reviewing your medical history and physically examining your finger. They may take an X-ray of your hand to get a better look at the bones inside your finger and test your range of motion (flexibility test) to see how well you can move the joint in your finger.

Treatment

Most of the time, no treatment is necessary for clinodactyly.

In severe cases, your healthcare provider might recommend reconstructive surgery if the curve in your finger is significant (curved at an angle greater than 30 degrees) and it’s stopping you from using your finger normally. Surgery is most effective among children with bones that are still growing.

Type of Doctor Department : A pediatric hand surgeon

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