Novel Finding of an Excess Bone in Postaxial Polydactyly of the Foot

Abstract

Background: Postaxial polydactyly is a common congenital foot anomaly. However, the severity of the anomaly varies from simple cases with only soft tissue duplication to complex cases with bone and joint disorders. In our clinical practice, we found a new morphological anomaly of postaxial polydactyly. We encountered several cases of postaxial polydactyly with bone fragments located between the fourth and fifth toes. The bone fragments were independent of the joint cavity. The mechanisms underlying its development remain unknown because it is a novel disorder. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of the excess bone to formulate an embryological hypothesis. Methods: We examined the frequency and trends in the occurrence of excess bone using data from photographs and radiographs of these cases. An example of a disorder similar to excess bone is mosaic-like alignment, as reported by Iba et al. We also compared the characteristics of the mosaic-like alignment with those of the excess bone. Based on these data and existing embryological knowledge, we hypothesized the origin of the excess bone. Results: Excess bone and mosaic-like alignments showed different characteristics. Therefore, both were considered completely different disorders. We hypothesized that excess bone was caused by damage to the interdigital ectoderm immediately before interdigital programmed cell death. Conclusions: We encountered a new form of postaxial polydactyly. This can be a factor influencing the treatment strategy because it can affect alignment and stability.