Clinodactyly

Clinodactyly
Man who has clinodactyly on his fifth finger (closest to left)
Pronunciation	/ˌklaɪnoʊˈdæktɪli/
Medical specialty	Medical genetics
Usual onset	Prenatal
Diagnostic method	X-ray
Treatment	Usually none, sometimes surgery

Clinodactyly is a medical term for when someone's finger or toe is very curved or bent. It can affect any finger or toe, but usually affects the fifth finger (or "pinkie"). Sometimes, clinodactyly is serious and needs surgery, but it usually does not need any treatment. Although anyone can have clinodactyly, it is usually associated with genetic disorders like Down syndrome or Turner syndrome.

Causes

People can have clinodactyly if they have no medical condition. Sometimes, it is inherited. However, many people with it may have a genetic disorder. Some of the genetic disorders that can cause clinodactyly are:

• Down syndrome
• Turner syndrome
• Klinefelter syndrome
• Fanconi anemia

Diagnosis

Clinodactyly is usually diagnosed through an X-ray. There is not an agreement on how bent a finger or toe has to be for it to be clinodactyly. Usually, it is diagnosed if a finger or toe has a curve of more than 10°. Less than 10° is normal.

Treatment

There is usually no reason to treat clinodactyly because it usually does not cause any problems. Sometimes, clinodactyly will affect someone and make it harder for them to do daily tasks. In these cases, surgery may be done. It is usually done when the person is young because their bones are not as developed, which makes it easier to do surgery.

Prevalence

The prevalence of clinodactyly is not fully known. Some studies put the frequency as low as 1% and as high as 19.5%. The prevalence varies because the criteria for what counts as clinodactyly is not agreed on.