Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Triphalangeal thumb

Finger-like thumb

HP:0001199

What it means

A thumb with three phalanges in a single, proximo-distal axis. Thus, this term applies if the thumb has an accessory phalanx, leading to a digit like appearance of the thumb.

The requirement for a single PD axis relates to the issue that partial forms of Preaxial polydactyly may comprise a partially duplicated thumb with two distal phalanges and a single proximal phalanx. That finding is instead coded as a mild form of thumb polydactyly. Note that this finding can be readily assessed by examination and/or physical manipulation of the thumb.

Rare diseases that can present with this31

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: Accessory phalanx of the thumb · Digitalized thumb · Triphalangeal thumbs · Triphalangy of thumb

Triphalangeal thumb

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.