Syndactyly

Syndactyly
A condition in which two or more of the fingers or toes are joined together. This joining can involve the bones or just the skin between the digits. Joining of the bones is called bony syndactyly. Webbing of the skin between the fingers without any joining of the bones is called cutaneous syndactyly. In complete syndactyly, the fingers or toes are completely joined together, with the connection extending from the base to the tip of the involved digits. In partial syndactyly, by contrast, the connection extends only part of the way up from the base of the involved digits. Poland syndactyly is a unique pattern of malformations in which there a defect of the chest muscle on one side of the body and cutaneous syndactyly involving the hand on the same side. The word “syndactyly” is compounded from the Greek roots “syn-“ (together) + “dactylos” (finger) = fingers together.
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Any degree of webbing or fusion of fingers or toes, involving soft parts only or including bone structure; usually autosomal dominant inheritance. SYN: symphalangism (1), symphalangy, syndactylia, syndactylism. [syn- + G. daktylos, finger or toe]

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syn·dac·ty·ly -lē n, pl -lies a union of two or more digits that is normal in many birds (as kingfishers) and in some lower mammals (as the kangaroos) and that occurs in humans often as a hereditary disorder marked by the joining or webbing of two or more fingers or toes

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n.
congenital webbing of the fingers. Adjacent fingers are joined along part or all of their length. They may be joined only by skin, or the bones of the fingers may be joined. Treatment is surgical separation of the fingers, and skin grafts may be required.

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syn·dac·ty·ly (sin-dakґtə-le) [syn- + Gr. daktylos finger] the most common congenital anomaly of the hand or foot, marked by persistence of the webbing between distal phalanges of adjacent digits, so that they are more or less completely attached. Called also webbed fingers (in the hand) and webbed toes (in the foot). syndactylous adj

Syndactyly of the hand in Apert syndrome.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Syndactyly — Classification and external resources New born baby hand showing complete complex syndactyly of two fingers. ICD …   Wikipedia

  • syndactyly — noun a) The normal condition, in some animals and birds, of having fused digits. Pranamya Menaria (India; born August 10, 2005) has 25 in total (12 fingers and 13 toes). This is as a result of the condition Polydactyly and Syndactyly. b) The… …   Wiktionary

  • Syndactyly, partial — A condition in which fingers or toes are partially joined together. Syndactyly can involve the bones or just the skin. With partial syndactyly, the connection extends from the base only part way up the involved digits. Partial syndactyly is the… …   Medical dictionary

  • Syndactyly, complete — A condition in which fingers or toes are completely joined together, with the connection extending from the base to the tip of the involved digits. Complete syndactyly is the opposite of partial syndactyly, in which the connection extends only… …   Medical dictionary

  • Syndactyly, Poland — A unique pattern of one sided malformations characterized by a defect of the chest (pectoralis) muscle on one side of the body and webbing of the fingers (cutaneous syndactyly) of the ipsilateral hand (the hand on the same side). Often called… …   Medical dictionary

  • Syndactyly, bony — A condition in which the bones of fingers or toes are joined together. Bony syndactyly is the opposite of cutaneous syndactyly, in which the bones are normal but skin between the digits is webbed …   Medical dictionary

  • Syndactyly, cutaneous — A condition in which fingers or toes are joined together, and the joining involves only the skin, not the bones. Cutaneous syndactyly is the opposite of bony syndactyly, in which the bones are of the digits are joined …   Medical dictionary

  • syndactyly — noun Etymology: New Latin syndactylia, from syn + Greek daktylos finger Date: 1864 a union of two or more digits that is normal in some animals (as various marsupials) and occurs as a human hereditary disorder marked by webbing of two or more… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • syndactyly — syn·dac·ty·ly (sĭn dăkʹtə lē) or syn·dac·tyl·ism ( tə lĭz əm) n. Biology 1. The condition of having two or more fused digits, as occurs normally in certain mammals and birds. 2. A congenital anomaly in humans characterized by two or more fused… …   Universalium

  • syndactyly — n. state of having webbed fingers or toes, state of having digits that are partially joined together (of certain mammals or birds) …   English contemporary dictionary

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