Memorable Case: Ectrodactyly

One of the most memorable cases of the 2010 mission will very likely be the case of a young man with what is often called "Lobster-Claw Syndrome" due to the visual aspect of the resulting deformities. From Wikipedia's definition of ectrodactyly:

Ectrodactyly, sometimes referred to as the “Lobster-Claw Syndrome” involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot and is also known as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM). The hands and feet of people with ectrodactyly are often described as "claw-like" and may include only the thumb and one finger (usually either the little finger, ring finger, or a syndactyly of the two) with similar abnormalities of the feet.

This is a case where the before and after pictures are dramatic, but the images are only one view of the story. (More pre-surgery photos here.)

What we see in photographs is far less dramatic than the positive change possible in this young man's life after Monday's surgery, performed by Dr. Bruce Lehnert.

 

Reviewing post-op films.