Developments in the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Strategy of the Apert Hand

The necessity for early surgical correction of Apert hands for the overall child development has been highlighted repeatedly in older literature. Nevertheless, uncertainties regarding the time and the scale of the initial surgical treatment still remain. While in former times there were no regular follow-ups after the syndactyly release, we now know that during growth bony changes will develop in the Apert hand requiring regular check-ups and, in some cases, revision surgeries. Affected parents need comprehensive clarification about a clear and time-efficient therapeutic concept. This review article describes our actual concept treating Apert hands.