[Current treatment of malformations of the hand]

Since 1976, the author has operated over 700 congenital malformations of the hand. This treatment was modified in several ways: 1) The age of the patients has become younger, treatment sometimes beginning before one year of age (syndactyly, radial clubhand). 2) A number of techniques, such as the removal of a supernumerary thumb or pollicization, have become much more complex and standardized, thus greatly improving the outcome. 3) Other malformations (aplasia of the fingers), which were left untreated before, can now be treated by growing bone grafts or the transfer of toes.