Syndactyly: can web creep be avoided?

Syndactyly is one of the most common congenital hand deformities but there still remains a high incidence of contractures and web creep after attempts at surgical correction using many assorted techniques. Little attention has been paid to the potential junctional scar in the aetiology of web creep. To remedy this, a technique is described which involves a dorsal flap and two palmar laterally-based flaps. This method not only breaks up the palmar junctional scar but also completely reconstructs the web, not just the floor. The procedure can be used in all varieties of syndactyly and has reduced the incidence of creep in a series of 49 webs.