Dermatoglyphic Variations in Achondroplasia

Abstract

Although numerous associations have been established between specific medical disorders and variations of epidermal ridge patterns, the effect of hand shape and proportions on the development of dermatoglyphic patterns and their aberrations is not well understood. As an embryonal developmental defect involving the hands, achondroplasia provides an opportunity to study the relationship between hand shape and variations in dermatoglyphic configurations and flexion creases. Achondroplasia (chondrodystrophia fetalis, chondrodystrophic dwarfish) is a rhizomelic type of short-limb dwarfism. The affected individuals typically have a large head with a prominent forehead, mid-face hypoplasia, exaggerated lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt and limitation of hip and elbow extension. Hands are short and stubby, with fingers of similar length and short, broad, conically shaped proximal and middle phalanges. The wide proximal phalanges prevent full approximation of all fingers in extension which results in the characteristic trident hand appearance.KeywordsPelvic TiltMarfan SyndromeHand ShapeRidge CountMiddle PhalangeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.