Metacarpal dewclaw

Calcar metacarpeum

Definition

Estelle Demange

The metacarpal dewclaw is the small, vestigial digit (typically the second or fifth digit) located on the palmar aspect of the distal metacarpus, just above the fetlock.

It is a remnant of an ancestral toe, usually non–weight-bearing, and is attached to the skin by connective tissue rather than forming a functional hoof.

References