Brachymetacarpia and brachyphalangia.

The x-ray features of 325 patients, with shortening of the metacarpals and/or phalanges were analyzed. Most patients with congenital hand anomalies (syndactyly, cleft hand, etc.) had a shortened middle phalanx of the small finger only; however, some patients also had a shortened middle phalanx of the index finger. The patients with brachymesophalangia of two and five rays also had a tendency to have shortened middle phalanges of the index and small fingers. Some patients' anomalies, such as shortening of the middle phalanges in both the index and small fingers, did not adequately fit Bell's classification. The patients who had shortened metacarpals sometimes also had shortened middle and distal phalanges and a shortened metatarsus. Combinations of shortened phalanges and/or metacarpals were so numerous that it was impossible to fit them into any simple classification.