What are Congenital Limb Deformities?
Congenital limb deformities involve arms, hands, legs, and/or feet and occur during foetal development. The conditions cause physical impairment as whole bones may be absent or severely shortened or joints may be deformed or dysfunctional. These anomalies may be isolated or related to a systemic or generalised syndrome.
What Causes Congenital Limb Deformities?
The causes of many types of congenital limb deformities are unknown while some cases have specific causes:
- genetic abnormalities, e.g. through intermarriage
- infectious diseases and toxic influences during early pregnancy
What cures Congenital Limb Deformities?
- Orthopedic surgery is aimed at improving the condition and may involve bone and joint reconstruction, limb lengthening, or amputation.
- Physiotherapy, special appliances, and prostheses are often used to increase mobility - even after surgery.
