Prevalence of the Linburg-Comstock Anomaly in a Brazilian Population Sample

A cross-sectional observational study was carried out between October 2017 and April 2018. We included male and female volunteers aged 18 years or older. The presence of the Linburg-Comstock anomaly was determined by performing the clinical tests described by Linburg and Comstock. The data were analyzed using the GraphPad Prism software, and we considered differences with p < 0.05.

Results

The study analyzed 1,008 volunteers (2,016 hands) with a mean age of 38.3 years, 531 (52.67%) of which were male, and 477 (47.33%) were female. The Linburg-Comstock anomaly was diagnosed in 564 (55.95%) individuals, and it was bilateral in 300 (53.2%) of them, right-sided in 162 (28.72%), and left-sided in 102 (18.08%). No significant differences were found when comparing the prevalence between genders. However, a the prevalence of the right-sided anomaly in the male population (n = 99; 70.21%) was higher than in the female one (n = 63; 51.21%), with p = 0.0016. In addition, the presence of pain by the maneuver described by Linburg and Comstock was more prevalent in women (n = 150; 54.94%) than in men (n = 105; 36.08%), with p = 0.0001. These results show the importance of epidemiological studies on the Linburg-Comstock anomaly, mainly in order to investigate the presence of associated conditions.

Conclusion

The prevalence of the Linburg-Comstock anomaly in the studied population was of 55.95%, and it was bilateral in 53.2% of the volunteers. The presence of the connection was observed more frequently in the right side and among men, but the pain symptom was more frequent among women.

Keywords
congenital hand deformities; finger joint abnormalities; tendons; prevalence; anatomy

	Men				Women
	Yes		No		Yes		No
	n	%	N	%	n	%	n	%	p-value
Linburg-Comstock anomaly	291	54.8	240	45.19	273	57.23	204	42.77	0.4377
Bilateral	150	51.54	141	48.46	150	54.94	123	45.06	0.7769
Right-sided	99	70.2	42	48.46	63	51.21	60	48.79	0.0016
Left-sided	42	29.8	57	57.58	60	48.79	21	25.92	0.8977

	Yes		No
	n	%	n	%	p-value
Men	105	36.08	186	63.92	0.0001
Women	150	54.94	123	45.06

Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia Al. Lorena, 427 14º andar, 01424-000 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel.: 55 11 2137-5400 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rbo@sbot.org.br

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[1] Address for correspondence Leonardo Coêlho de Alencar Barreto, MD, Departamento de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Borges Lagoa 786, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, Brasil (e-mail: leoemcel@hotmail.com).

Brasil

Brasil

Prevalence of the Linburg-Comstock Anomaly in a Brazilian Population Sample* * Work developed at the Discipline of Hand Surgery and Upper Limb, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Abstract

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Prevalence of the Linburg-Comstock Anomaly in a Brazilian Population Sample^* * Work developed at the Discipline of Hand Surgery and Upper Limb, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.