Bilateral postaxial polydactyly of the foot in an adolescent: a case report

Abstract

Polydactyly is the most common congenital anomaly of the foot. While most cases present in early infancy, some present later in life due to poor cosmetic appearance or difficulty in fitting shoes. Surgery is indicated in all cases and gives a satisfactory result irrespective of the time of presentation, as long as it is performed after the development of ossification centres in the affected rays. Most subjects with postaxial polydactyly have satisfactory outcome following surgery. Poor results are often associated with preaxial duplications and persistent hallux varus.
We report a 16-year-old boy with bilateral postaxial polydactyly, who presented with complaints of poor cosmetic appearance of the feet and difficulty in fitting normal shoes. He underwent surgical excision of the sixth digits and reconstruction of the adjoining 5th digits, and was quite satisfied with the outcome of treatment.