Phocomelia

Phocomelia (from the Greek φωκη = „seal“ and μελος = „limb“ ) belongs to atrophic congenital defects of the upper (sometimes lower) limb.

Phocomelia was one of the typical components of the so-called thalidomide syndrome (at the turn of the 1960s, around 6,000 children were born worldwide with various malformations caused by the teratogenic effect of thalidomide - see Congenital developmental defects for more details ).

Definition

 * Complete longitudinal defect on the upper limb of the humerus, radius, ulna, possibly the carpus + on the lower limb of the femur, tibia, fibula, possibly the tarsus.
 * On the upper limb, a more or less normal hand sits directly on the shoulder girdle, on the lower limb, the foot on the pelvic girdle.

Therapy

 * Individuals affected by phocomelia of the upper limbs mainly used preserved lower limbs for self-care.
 * Today, we solve this defect with tension / electric prostheses, controlled by a phocomelic hand.
 * Phocomelia of the lower limbs is treated prosthetically as a bilateral disarticulation in the hip joint.