Hand clenching

What it means

An abnormal hand posture in which the hands are clenched to fists. All digits held completely flexed at the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints. In prenatal sonography of the fetal clenched hand, the index finger overlaps a clenched fist formed by the other digits. The proximal interphalangeal articulation of the index finger is flexed and ulnarly deviated, and the thumb is adducted.

Hand clenching is commonly characterized by malpositioning of the fingers characterized by radial deviation of the 4th and 5th digits and ulnar deviation of the 2nd digit over the 3rd finger. Hand clenching is distinguished from Camptodactyly, as that term may describe fewer than five digits of a eudactylous hand and does not involve the MCPJ. The digits may overlap when they lie flexed in the palm. It is not necessary to specify the overlapping fingers finding separately.

Rare diseases that can present with this10

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

Also called: Clenched hand · Fisted hand · Fisting · Hands fisted · Hands tightly fisted · Thumb clasp