Soft tissue abnormalities

Soft tissue abnormalities in congenital radial aplasia depend on the degree of severity of the anomaly. However, typical clinical features can include:

• increasing stiffuness of digits, from ulnar to radial side of the hand
• skin deficiency on radial side of hand with relative excess on ulnar side
• hypoplastic, absent or fused musculotendinous units; extensors are mainly affected:
  • extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis
  • brachioradialis
  • abductor pollicis longus
  • extensor pollicis longus and brevis
  • extensor digitorum communis
  • flexor pollicis longus
  • flexor carpi radialis
• absent radial artery
• nerve abnormalities:
  • absent radial or musculocutaneous nerves
  • median nerve innervates areas normally supplied by radial and musculocutaneous nerves; a median nerve branch that has replaced the superficial branch of the radial nerve can make release of radial soft tissue more difficult due to its anomalous and superficial course