‘IN MY HANDS’ – A Marfan syndrome documentary!

What did Abraham Lincoln and Johnathan Larson, the playwright of the musical “Rent,” have in common?  They both had Marfan Syndrome, according to a new documentary movie that will be screened at the film festival this weekend.

“In My Hands” eloquently explores the lives of a few of the more than 200,000 people in the US stricken with Marfan Syndrome – a little known genetic connective tissue condition that, prior to the invention of open heart surgery in the 1950’s, usually meant a death sentence – and the people who love them.

Dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking, whose son Chris is affected with Marfan syndrome, works with a group of teenagers, designing movement and dance that capitalizes on their shaky long bodies, and unexpectedly, inspires their self-esteem.

Many syndromes & diseases are features with unusual hand characteristics. Long & hypermobile hands is one of the common characteristics of Marfan Syndrome. Learn a little bit more about Marfan syndrome via this quiz about hand motorics.

FRAGILE X SYNDROME – 28 Hand characteristics in the genetic syndrome variant of autism!

Phantom picture of the hand in Fragile X syndrome! In 1986 A. Rodewald et al. presented the first ‘phantom picture’ describing the typical hand characteristics in Fragile X syndrome (e.g. hand calluses & flexible finger phalange joints). But more detailed ‘phantom pictures’ were never presented since then. This month (february 2010) a more detailed updated version of the visualisation became available – featuring 28 characteristics of the hand in Fragile’s syndrome! What are the most common hand characteristics in Fragile X syndrome? HAND LINES: A common characteristic is the presence of the famous ‘simian line‘; an alternative is the presence of a Sydney line. DERMATOGLYPHICS: Here one should especially notice the fingerprints of the 3rd finger (and the 2nd + 4th finger); often these demonstrate the presence of ‘radial loop’ patterns and/or arch patterns (the normal ‘ulnar loop’ patterns are less common in Fragile X syndrome) – combined with a ‘transverse’ pattern in the palmar ridge lines in the distal palmar zone. HAND SHAPE: The palm width (hand breadth) is relatively broad, and the palm length is usually a bit short. Finger length is relatively long compared to the palm length, but slightly short compared to the palm breadth. NOTICE: The author of the new ‘phantom picture’ for Fragilex syndrome described a specific guideline which states that in most cases of Fragile X syndrome certain combinations of the 28 characteristics are found in both the fingers AND the palm of the hand! More details available at: How to use the famous ‘simian crease’ as a marker in Fragile X syndrome! Photo: example of a baby hand with hyperextensible finger joints – a common feature in Fragile X syndrome.