Wartenberg's sign

Persistent abduction of the little finger with inability to adduct it actively to the ring finger, seen in ulnar nerve palsy: the unopposed extensor and abductor digiti minimi abduct the finger while the weak third palmar interosseous cannot bring it back. It is also seen during ulnar nerve regeneration, occurs rarely without a neuropathy, and is distinct from Wartenberg's syndrome, the compression of the superficial radial nerve.

Related terms

• Investigation

  Froment's sign

  Sign of adductor pollicis weakness in ulnar nerve palsy: when the patient pinches a sheet of paper between thumb and index finger against a pull, flexor pollicis longus substitutes for the weak adductor and the thumb interphalangeal joint flexes. Hyperextension of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint in the same manoeuvre is Jeanne's sign. Both are motor signs that appear with established weakness and may be absent in early compression.

• Condition

  Cubital tunnel syndrome

  Compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow within the cubital tunnel. The second most common upper-limb compression neuropathy after carpal tunnel syndrome. Presents with paraesthesia in the small and ulnar-half of the ring finger and weakness of intrinsic hand muscles.

Articles mentioning this term

1. FESSH preparation · 26 September 2026

   Clinical examination of the hand and wrist

   Hand and wrist examination for FESSH candidates: how accurate the Phalen, Tinel, scratch collapse, Elson, Watson, grind, fovea and Allen tests really are.

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