Rheumatoid Arthritis Support

A rare anatomical variation affects 1 in 500 humans, in which the individual has more than the usual number of digits; this is known as polydactyly. A human may also be born without one or more fingers. Extra fingers can be functional. In one individual with seven fingers not only used them but claimed that they “gave him some advantages in playing the piano.”

Phalanges are commonly fractured. A damaged tendon can cause significant loss of function in fine motor control, such as with a mallet finger.

Finger locking is the act of locking the middle joint of a finger in place, and bending the very last joint independently from the others. Many people have the ability to do this in only one hand or even in both, depending on how the muscles are formed in the hand. Finger locking may cause pain and sometimes even arthritis.

The fingers are commonly affected by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Diabetics often use the fingers to obtain blood samples for regular blood sugar testing. Raynaud's phenomenon is a neurovascular disorder that affects the fingers.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Finger, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki