[Preaxial polydactyly of the hand: 15 years of experience]

Preaxial polydactyly is one of the most common congenital malformations of the hand. The treatment is surgical and should be done early, between 6 and 12 months old. The purpose of this paper is to review our experience in terms of casuistry, treatment and functional and aesthetic results of duplicity of thumb, since 2000 until today.

A retrospective study of patients with diagnosis of preaxial polydactyly from 2000 to january 2016 was performed.

Thirty patients with duplicity of thumb and thirty one bifid thumbs were diagnosed. No difference was found in terms of gender. The right hand was the most affected. Wassel type IV was the most common, followed by type II. Age at time of surgery had a median and mode of 12 months. All were treated surgically, using the model of preservation of the dominant thumb in 97% of the cases. According to Tada system, our postoperative results were good in 26 cases (83.8%). Our most frequent complication was slight radial clinodactyly, which was found in 5 cases.

Preaxial polydactyly of the hand is one of the most common congenital malformations. It is usually unilateral and without gender predominance. Surgical treatment provides good results. The most common technique for reconstruction is the model of preservation of the dominant thumb. Clinodactyly is the most common complication after surgery, however its presence is more aesthetic than a functional problem.