ABSTRACT
The radial club hand is a complex congenital anomaly involving failure of formation of structures on the pre–-axial border of the upper limb. The deficiency involves the skeleton, muscles and tendons, nerves and vessels and other soft tissues of the entire upper limb to a greater or lesser extent. The radial club hand may be an isolated anomaly or may be associated with one of a host of complex syndromes. The unilateral radial club hand is often an isolated anomaly, while the bilateral form is more frequently associated with syndrome. The severity of the deficiency varies and is classified according to whether the radius is slightly short, clearly hypoplastic, partially absent or totally absent. If the anticipated lifespan is short and the anomalies of other systems are not compatible with reasonable overall function it may not be worthwhile to subject the child to a series of operations to improve hand function alone.
