Epidemiological and Clinical Aspects of Cleft Hand: Case Series From a Tertiary Public Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Cleft hand is a rare and congenital deformity that affects hands and feet and can be associated with other malformations. The objective was to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical aspects of cleft hand patient in a case series. Methods: Baseline characteristics associated with this deformity, such as sociodemographic characteristics, affected upper limb side, family history, clinical manifestations, and the degree of deficiency according to Barsky, Manske and Halikis, and Valenti classifications, were analyzed in 38 patients treated in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, Brazil. Results: A predominance of typical hands as classified by Barsky, types II and IV by Manske and Halikis, and type IV by Valenti was found. A high frequency of typical cases (55.3%), as defined by Barsky, had a positive family history ( P = .031) and were associated with other clinical manifestations (44.7%), when compared with atypical cleft hand patients ( P < .001). Conclusion: In our study, there were more typical cleft hands than atypical, and they were more commonly associated with family history and other clinical manifestations.