National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Syndactyly type 3


Other Names:
SDTY3; Syndactyly of the ring and little finger; Syndactyly of fingers four and five; SDTY3; Syndactyly of the ring and little finger; Syndactyly of fingers four and five; Ring and little finger syndactyly See More
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Syndactyly type 3 (SD3) is a limb abnormality present at birth that is characterized by complete fusion of the 4th and 5th fingers on both hands. In most cases only the soft tissue is fused, but in some cases the bones of the fingers (distal phalanges) are fused. There is evidence that SD3 is caused by mutations in the GJA1 gene, which has also been implicated in a condition called oculodentodigital dysplasia. SD3 is the characteristic digital abnormality in this condition. SD3 is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.[1]
Last updated: 6/3/2013

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Finger syndactyly 0006101
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Camptodactyly of finger
Permanent flexion of the finger
0100490
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Short toe
Short toes
Stubby toes
[ more ] 		0001831
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
4-5 finger syndactyly
Webbed 4th-5th finger
0010705
Absent middle phalanx of 5th finger
Absent middle bone of little finger
Absent middle bone of pinkie finger
Absent middle bone of pinky finger
[ more ] 		0009162
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Short 5th finger
Short fifth finger
Short fifth fingers
Short little finger
Short pinkie finger
Short pinky finger
[ more ] 		0009237
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
Syndactyly type 3 has been shown to be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.[1] This means that having only one mutated copy of the causative gene is sufficient to cause the condition. When an individual with an autosomal dominant condition has children, each child has a 50% (1 in 2) chance of inheriting the mutated gene and a 50% chance of inheriting the normal gene and being unaffected.
Last updated: 6/3/2013

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • The University of California San Francisco Limb Study is researching the genetic causes of limb malformations. They are looking for participants who only have problems with their limbs, such as fused or webbed fingers/toes, more than 5 fingers/toes, less than 5 fingers/toes, split hand and foot also called ectrodactyly, short fingers/toes, bent pinky fingers, extra long fingers, flexed fingers, club foot, etc. Visit the study’s website to learn more about who is eligible to take part in this study.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Syndactyly type 3. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • I have type 3 syndactyly and have been trying to find out what the chances are of passing this on to any children I have. Is there any research out there that covers this question? See answer


  1. Syndactyly type 3. Orphanet. October 2010; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=EN&Expert=93404. Accessed 6/3/2013.