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 Man
is unique amongst all vertebrates by the
presence of his hand - "mannus" and even
derives his name from this specialized
structure. The pediatric hand is a
miniature yet constantly growing version
of the adult hand and this growing feature
is an important consideration in the
diagnosis and proper timing of treatment
of pediatric hand problems. There are some
essential differences between problems in
the adult hand and those in the pediatric
hand. The smaller size, developing
musculoskeletal system and activities of
children contribute to making such
problems difficult to tackle. The
common problems encountered by
physicians and surgeons treating
children most can be classified as:
A) Congenital malformations: e.g.
Syndactyly, radial club hand, Polydactyly,
etc
B) Developmental: trigger digits,
especially thumb
C) Traumatic: Fractures, including
Pathological fractures, Physeal injuries
D) Infective: Acute & Chronic
Osteomyelitis, soft tissue infections
E) Inflammatory: Arthritis (Juvenile
Rheumatoid, Reactive, etc)
F) Neosplastic: bone cysts, exostosis
G) Metabolic: Rickets/scurvy
H) Neurological problems
I) Miscellaneous
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