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. 2022;33(1):156-161.
doi: 10.52312/jdrs.2022.482. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Thumb duplication classifications: Is there still a need for improvement?

Ayşe Şencan  1 , Mehmet Baydar, Kahraman Öztürk, Ethem Ayhan Ünkar, Ersin Demirkaynak, Hanifi Üçpunar
Affiliations

Thumb duplication classifications: Is there still a need for improvement?

Ayşe Şencan et al. Jt Dis Relat Surg. 2022.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to compare the usefulness of two systems in classifying thumb duplication cases and give some examples of the cases we believe that are unclassifiable.

Patients and methods: Between January 2011 and January 2018, a total of 50 patients (29 males, 21 females; median age: 46.4±68.3 months; range, 1 to 318 months) with thumb duplications as assessed according to the Wassel and Rotterdam classification systems were included.

Results: Duplication was present in the right hand in 28, in the left hand in 21, and in both hands in one patient. According to the Wassel classification system, 45 patients could be allocated in any of the types; however, five patients could not be classified. According to the Rotterdam classification, 47 cases fell into one of the classifications; however, three cases could not be classified.

Conclusion: Despite efforts to find the best classification system for thumb duplications, the proposed systems may not fully cover the presented radial polydactyly cases, and additions to the system are required.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Wassel (upper row) and Rotterdam (lower row) classifications.
Figure 2
Figure 2. (a) Radiograph of the posteroanterior hand and wrist and (b) image of the left hand and wrist at age 11 months. (c) Posteroanterior radiograph of the thumb after the amputation of two ulnar-most thumbs. (d) Three-dimensional computed tomography image of the left hand, wrist, and forearm including the elbow at 7 years of age (white arrowhead denotes the radial-most thumb).
Figure 3
Figure 3. (a) Posteroanterior photograph and (b)radiograph of the left thumb.
Figure 4
Figure 4. (a and c) Photograph and (b and d) radiograph of tetraplication of the left thumb.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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