Developmental biology and classification of congenital anomalies of the hand and upper extremity.

Recent investigations into the mechanism of limb development have clarified the roles of several molecules, their pathways, and interactions. Characterization of the molecular pathways that orchestrate limb development has provided insight into the etiology of many limb malformations. In this review, we describe how the insights from developmental biology are related to clinically relevant anomalies and the current classification schemes used to define, categorize, and communicate patterns of upper limb malformations.

Clinical assessment of the ulnar nerve at the elbow: reliability of instability testing and the association of hypermobility with clinical symptoms.

Background: Ulnar nerve hypermobility has been reported to be present in 2% to 47% of asymptomatic individuals. To our knowledge, the physical examination technique for diagnosing ulnar nerve hypermobility has not been standardized. This study was designed to quantify the interobserver reliability of the physical examination for ulnar nerve hypermobility and to determine whether ulnar nerve hypermobility is associated with clinical symptoms.

A child with longitudinal cleavage of the upper extremity: treatment and etiology considerations.

We report a 4-year-old boy with a normal right upper extremity and 2 left upper extremities. These extremities included one with radial components including the radius and rudimentary thumb ray extended from the humerus in the more superior extremity, and another with the ulna and ulnar hand elements attached more inferiorly to the thorax. The patient had normal shoulder motion but no other function in the more superior extremity; the inferior extremity had active flexion and extension of the 2 fingers.