Clinodactyly

What is Clinodactyly?

It is a congenital condition, and one an affected individual is born with. It usually occurs on one hand, rather than both.

It is the permanent curving or bending of a digit, either a finger or a toe. The exact joint which bends is known as the interphalangeal joint. This usually happens with the 5th digit (the little finger/toe), and it curves into the 4th finger or toe.

Understanding limb-related symptoms and features

Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.

Limbs refer to the arms and legs of the body. They also include the hands and feet connected to the main limbs. Parts of the limbs include the fingers and toes, known as digits.

The limbs are an essential part of many different functions of the body, including movement, feeding and other necessary daily skills. Symptoms and features affecting the development and functioning of the limbs may also impact on these activities as well.

Generally, symptoms affecting the limbs may be seen with the naked eye. Although diagnosing a limb related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.

What should I do next?

In some instances, the permanent curving of a finger or toe may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Clinodactyly, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist.  Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis.  FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.