[Polydactyly and syndactyly as the most common congenital disorders of the limbs]

Polydactyly is a common hereditary disorder in which extra or vestigial digits are present on the one or both sides of the extremities. It is ten times more frequent in Blacks than in Whites. Polydactyly occurs both in a sporadic form and in a hereditary form. In polydactyly type A, the extra digits contains phalanges, in polydactyly type B, there is no skeletal structure. The extra digit is made by skin only. Syndactyly type I exists when the connection is at the level of skin, in type II the phalanges of the fingers are connected. For syndactyly correction, combined use of "Z"-method incision and full-thickness free skin grafts are the most common method of treatment. A new method is based on a straight incision and free skin grafts. The scars after the serial excision are placed on the midlateral lines. The final scars are minimal, and good functional and cosmetic result is obtained.