Thumb hypoplasia describes a congenital deficiency in thumb development. It is difficult to classify in the IFSSH/Swanson scheme of congenital upper limb anomalies. It could be considered as either a failure of formation or hypoplasia. Indeed, it has been suggested that generalised hypoplasia should be considered as a separate entity from thumb maldevelopment secondary to, for example, the extrinsic effects of amniotic band disruption.
Thumb hypoplasia accounts for 3-4% of all congenital upper limb malformations. It can occur sporadically or as part of the complex of other congenital hand conditions eg symbrachydactyly, cleft hand and radial dysplasia. The majority of patients have bilateral features. The anatomical derangement will determine function and the need for treatment; this is predicted by a common classification scheme - see submenu.
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