Why is my pinky finger bent

There could be numerous causes for a bent pinky finger, from previous injury to an inherited trait. Many people only notice their pinky fingers are bent, or slightly crooked, when they hold their fingers side by side and survey them. Sometimes, this bending is attributed to the ring finger, as well. If you’ve ever had your fingers slammed in a car door, or other trauma before you were fully grown, this could be the cause of your bent pinkies. Because the bones were subjected to trauma, but not broken, they grew at an angle, which results in the appearance of having bent pinkies.

If childhood trauma is not the source of bent pinkies, then it is likely that the condition has been inherited either from parents, or even grandparents. This condition is known as camptodactyly. Camptodactyly is a blanket term which is applied to any deformity in the fingers. Some people have middle fingers which are slightly crooked, while others have pinkies which are bent. Depending on the severity of the condition, some people might not be able to fully extend their pinkies, as the bending is that severe.

Causes of Camptodactyly
There are many different causes of this condition, with the primary cause being ligaments and contracted tendons in the finger. While this is the most common cause, it is not the only cause. In some cases of people who have bent fingers, the muscles grew abnormally, or the bones were shaped irregularly as they grew.

How common is it?
There is no definite number of the cases of camptodactyly which occur each year in children, as some cases are hardly noticeable, while others are more pronounced. The best rough estimation of the condition is around one percent of the total general population seems to be affected with this condition each year. Of course, since this isn’t an accurate measurement, it’s very likely that the condition is more prevalent among certain races.

What little information is known about the condition has shown that it appears to be more frequent with females than males. In addition, children have been observed as growing up to have bent pinky fingers, when no other immediate family members had the condition. While this may seem like camptodactyly is a random condition, it has been shown that parents who have some form of bent pinkies or other fingers are more likely to give birth to children with the same condition.

Diagnosis
There is no harm in having bent pinkies unless they are so severely bent that it makes daily tasks near impossible. In this case, surgery may be performed in order to correct the problem. In mild cases, no treatment is needed, as it does not affect the quality of life.