Split hand syndrome
Written and reviewed by Dr Ibrahim Imam, Consultant Neurologist. Last reviewed .
Split hand syndrome. This is disproportionate muscle wasting of the lateral half of the hand. Fully referenced neurology checklist.
Definition and mechanism
- This is disproportionate muscle wasting of the lateral half of the hand
- It is possibly due to cortical and spinal mechanisms
- It may be caused by more frequent use of the lateral hand muscles: pincer action and grip
Causes
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Clinical features
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Other split signs
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Acronyms
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References
- Eisen A, Kuwabara S. The split hand syndrome in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. JNNP 2012; 83:399-403.
- Schelhaas HJ, van de Warrenburg BPC, Kremer HPH, Zwarts MJ. The "split hand" phenomenon: evidence of a spinal origin. Neurology 2003; 61:2619-1620.
- Kuwabara S, Sonoo M, Komori T, et al. Dissociated small hand muscle atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency, extent, and specificity. Muscle Nerve 2008; 37:426-430.
- Voermans NC, Schelhaas HJ, Munneke M, Zwarts MJ. Dissociated small hand muscle atrophy in aging: the 'senile hand' is a split hand. Eur J Neurol 2006; 13:1381-1384.
- Menon P, Bae JS, Mioshi E, Kiernan MC, Vucic S. Split-hand plus sign in ALS: differential involvement of the flexor pollicis longus and intrinsic hand muscles. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:315-318.
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