system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 13-year-old girl is brought to a medical clinic with a complaint of a left foot deformity since birth. The clinical and radiologic evaluation suggested partial simple syndactyly between the 2nd and 3rd toes of the left foot. A radiograph revealed a bony fusion between the proximal phalanges of the 2nd and 3rd toes. There are no other congenital defects except for the toe findings. A failure in which of the following processes could lead to deformity as shown in the picture?
assistant
Apoptosis