PhD defence E.B. (Elise) Burger

Preaxial polydactyly of the foot is a congenital malformation, characterized by the duplication of the hallux. This thesis aimed to improve the recognition and description of preaxial polydactyly of the foot and focused on expanding the current knowledge on presentation and the effects of surgical treatment on foot function, aesthetical appearance, and quality of life.

With plantar pressure measurements, we studied foot function of children that are surgically treated for preaxial polydactyly of the foot and compared functional and aesthetic outcomes with healthy feet. A more lateral pressure load was seen in children with preaxial polydactyly, but this different pressure load did not lead to functional complaints or more foot pain. On the other hand, patients with preaxial polydactyly did report more problems with shoe fitting and foot aesthetics compared to healthy controls. 

The patient presentation was studied by combining data from our own patient group with data from the literature. Using this combination, we were able to describe the associated anomalies and syndromes that can present together with preaxial polydactyly of the foot. Moreover, a guideline was formulated that describes when patients with preaxial polydactyly should be seen by a clinical geneticist. Furthermore, the influence of the GLI-3 gene on the development of the type of polydactyly was studied and we showed that an anterior and posterior phenotype can be differentiated based on the type of mutation.

The public defence will take place at the Senate Hall, 1st floor Erasmus Building, location campus Woudestein. The ceremony will begin exactly at 13.00 PM. In light of the solemn nature of the ceremony, we recommend that you do not take children under the age of 6 to the first part of the ceremony.