CLINODACTYLY

Course overview

CLINODACTYLY IS DEFINED AS A CONGENITAL CURVATURE OF A DIGIT DISTAL TO THE METACARPAL PHALANGEAL JOINT IN THE CORONAL PLANE. CURVATURES WITH AN ANGULAR DEVIATION OF FEWER THAN 10 DEGREES CAN BE SEEN AS A NORMAL PHYSIOLOGIC VARIANT. CLINODACTYLY IS DEFINED WHEN THE CORONAL ANGULATION OF THE AFFECTED DIGIT IS GREATER THAN 10 DEGREES. THE CURVATURE ARISES DUE TO THE ABNORMAL TRAPEZOIDAL OR TRIANGULAR SHAPE OF ONE OR MORE PHALANGES, WHICH LEADS TO MALALIGNMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED INTERPHALANGEAL JOINT. THIS ABNORMAL SHAPE LEADS TO ASYMMETRIC LONGITUDINAL GROWTH IN A DIRECTION DEVIATED FROM THE NORMAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE FINGER RESULTING IN THE VISIBLE CURVATURE OF THE DIGIT. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CLINODACTYLY AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.