Claw hand deformity

What it means

An abnormality of the hand characterized by metacarpophalangeal (MCP) hyperextension and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) flexion. The position of the affected hand is said to resemble a claw.

Anything that may lead to ulnar nerve palsy can cause claw hand. Ulnar nerve palsy can arise from a laceration anywhere along its course. Proximal injuries to the medial cord of the brachial plexus may also present with sensory loss distally. Ulnar nerve palsies can also be due to cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar tunnel syndrome. These are compression neuropathies at the elbow and wrist. Another cause of ulnar nerve palsy may be a failure to splint the hand in an intrinsic-plus posture following a crush injury. There are a few systemic diseases that may also lead to ulnar nerve palsy. These include leprosy, syringomyelia, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category