Webbed toes is the common name for a condition called syndactyly in the feet, where two or more toes are joined together by skin and flexible tissue. This is normal in many animals, such as birds like ducks, amphibians like frogs, and some mammals like kangaroos. In humans, this condition is rare, happening in about 1 out of every 2,000 to 2,500 babies born. It most often affects the second and third toes, which are connected by skin and flexible tissue that may extend partway up the toes or almost all the way.
Cause
The exact reason for this condition is not known. Sometimes, family members may have this condition. Other times, no other family members have it. The scientific name for this condition is syndactyly, which includes both webbed fingers and webbed toes. This happens when a process called programmed cell death does not occur correctly during the early stages of development. Webbed toes are most often found in the following situations:
- Syndactyly or familial syndactyly
- Down syndrome
This condition is also linked to several rare disorders, including:
- Aarskog–Scott syndrome
- Acrocallosal syndrome
- Apert syndrome
- Bardet–Biedl syndrome
- CACNA1C-related disorders
- Carpenter syndrome
- Cornelia de Lange syndrome
- Edwards syndrome
- Jackson–Weiss syndrome
- Fetal hydantoin syndrome
- Miller syndrome
- Pfeiffer syndrome
- Smith–Lemli–Opitz syndrome
- Timothy syndrome
- Ectodermal dysplasia
- Klippel–Feil syndrome
Diagnosis
This condition is usually found at birth. If other symptoms are present, it may mean a particular syndrome is involved. Doctors determine if a particular syndrome is present by looking at family history, medical history, and doing a physical exam. Webbed toes are also called "twin toes," "duck toes," "turkey toes," "tree toes," and "tiger toes."
The seriousness can be different. Most cases affect the second and third toes, but any number of toes may be involved. In some cases, the toes are partially joined, while in others, the webbing may go all the way to the nails. In some cases, the entire toes, including the nails and bones, may be completely joined.
Treatment
Webbed toes can be separated with surgery. This type of surgery is an example of a body change.
Like all surgeries, there are possible problems. If webbed toes are not treated, it is rare for them to cause issues other than appearance. Because of this, many doctors do not suggest surgery for common cases.
The results depend on how severe the webbing is and the shape of the bones. Some scarring usually happens, and skin grafts might be needed. In rare cases, nerve damage could cause numbness in the toes or a tingling feeling. Some reports mention that part of the webbing might return after surgery. Skin grafts used to cover the space between the toes can cause more scars where the skin is taken from.
Notable cases
- Dan Aykroyd – Canada, actor
- Tricia Helfer – Canada, actress
- Jacqui Hurley – Ireland, sports broadcaster
- Ashton Kutcher – United States, actor
- Thomas Robert Malthus – England, political economist and demographer
- Danielle Panabaker – United States, actress
- Conan O'Brien – United States, comedian
- Tim Plester – UK, actor, playwright and filmmaker
- Joseph Stalin – Soviet Union, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Javier Milei – Argentina, President