What is Hexadactyly?
Hexadactyly is a congenital malformation which results in the presence of an extra digit on a hand or foot. This extra digit can vary in size and functionality; sometimes, it is little more than a skin tag, while in other instances the extraneous digit is fully functional. Most people remove these extra digits surgically, although they are generally quite harmless, because extra fingers and toes are viewed as aesthetically displeasing, and in some cultures they are subject to superstitious beliefs. When the extra digit appears next to the pinky finger or toe, it is known as ulnar hexadactyly. This form is by far the most common. Hexadactyly which presents on the other side of the hand or foot, near the thumb or big toe, is known as radial hexadactyly. Very rarely, the extra finger or toe may grow between normal fingers and toes, in which case the patient is said to have intercalary hexadactly. When people grow extra digits in general, it is known as “polydactyly,” a word which literall
Hexadactyly is a congenital malformation which results in the presence of an extra digit on a hand or foot. This extra digit can vary in size and functionality; sometimes, it is little more than a skin tag, while in other instances the extraneous digit is fully functional. Most people remove these extra digits surgically, although they are generally quite harmless, because extra fingers and toes are viewed as aesthetically displeasing, and in some cultures they are subject to superstitious beliefs. When the extra digit appears next to the pinky finger or toe, it is known as ulnar hexadactyly. This form is by far the most common. Hexadactyly which presents on the other side of the hand or foot, near the thumb or big toe, is known as radial hexadactyly. Very rarely, the extra finger or toe may grow between normal fingers and toes, in which case the patient is said to have intercalary hexadactly. When people grow extra digits in general, it is known as “polydactyly,†a word which liter
