

There is usually some bruising, swelling, and nail discoloration on the toes. Most children will have to stay in the hospital for a few days after the surgery. In total, most surgeries to repair webbed digits take 2–5 hours. They will then wrap layers of bandages around the affected area, or fix it in a cast that will cover and immobilize the corrected toes to protect them from injury as they heal.
#WEBBED FINGERS SKIN#
The surgeon will usually take skin grafts from the child’s inner groin area or the back of the upper arm. This will also minimize scarring by reducing tension as the wound heals. The surgeon will sometimes stitch skin grafts, or transplanted pieces of healthy skin, over the top of the exposed wounds to protect them as they heal. If any structures other than the skin are fused, the surgeon will carefully work to divide them as they make the zigzag cuts. In most cases, once the child is unconscious, the surgeon will cut through the webbing in a zigzag manner along the midline point.Ĭutting the webbing in this way will help to prevent the scarring from interfering with healthy growth and development. The exact surgical procedure to correct webbed toes depends on the severity of the webbing and the structures it involves. They may also order blood tests and chromosomal tests to check whether the webbing relates to another condition, or is syndromic, particularly if a child has other physical signs of a genetic syndrome.

It is best to fix webbed toes before they can cause any joint malformation.Ī doctor will usually order an X-ray or ultrasound of the webbed area to determine exactly which structures it involves and the best surgical approach.
#WEBBED FINGERS FULL#
In most cases, it is possible to correct webbed toes surgically, and this usually occurs between the ages of 12 and 18 months before full development has happened. Share on Pinterest Surgery during infancy is a common treatment for webbed toes. And Caucasian children seem to be more likely to develop webbed digits than children from other ethnic backgrounds.Īlthough it can affect any of the toes or the spaces between them, syndactyly most frequently develops between the second and third toes. However, researchers still do not understand the full range of factors that cause the condition to develop because each case is different.Īccording to the available research, boys are more likely to develop syndactyly than girls. There is a well-established genetic basis for some types of syndactyly, and most people would consider webbed toes to be an inherited condition. Syndactyly may appear as a symptom of another syndrome or medical condition, but most cases are non-syndromic, meaning that they have no apparent cause.Ĭurrently, there are 300 different syndromes linked to syndactyly, most of which are genetic conditions. However, more severe cases of syndactyly may also involve other parts of the body, including: The majority of cases of webbed toes occur when the skin fails to separate during fetal development. Syndactyly often presents as webbing, so people often refer to the condition as webbed toes or fingers. Syndactyly can also occur when the skin or another body structure does not heal properly after a significant injury, such as a burn. It occurs when the toes or fingers do not separate correctly during fetal development. Syndactyly is one of the most common birth abnormalities, affecting an estimated 1 in every 2,000–3,000 children born each year. Share on Pinterest Syndactyly refers to toes or fingers not separating during fetal development.
