Studies on the variability of growth and proportions of the metacarpals at postpubertal age
Sokolowska-Pituchowa, J.; Feret, J.
Folia Morphologica 24(1): 79-87
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5640 PMID: 950204 Document Number: 109678
The growth rate and variability of proportions in the length of the metacarpals at the postpubertal age were studied. Observations were made on the radiograms of the hands of 31 boys whose age ranged from 15-19 yr. The successive radiograms were taken at annual intervals. In total, 124 radiograms were assessed. The material was divided into annual age intervals according to skeletal age. The length of the metacarpals of both hands was measured on the radiograms. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. The rate of the increment of length of the metacarpals at successive age intervals under study varied. The differences occurred between the analogous metacarpals of the right and left hands and between successive metacarpal bones of 1 hand. Higher variability was exhibited by the 2nd metacarpal. The values of the measures of variability in the length of particular bones, expressed by variance and standard deviation, when arranged in a sequence from the highest to the lowest, occurred in a majority of cases in each age group in the order identical with that encountered in a typical formula of length proportions of the metacarpals. The variability in the length of each metacarpal seems to be directly proportional to its absolute length. Despite divergences in the rate of growth of particular metacarpals in the group under consideration, no change was encountered in the essential formula of proportions of metacarpals, i.e., 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 1.