The hypothenar radial arch, a genetically determined epidermal ridge configuration

A radial arch in the hypothenar area of the human palm is an uncommon ridge arrangement. It is associated with an ulnar triradius and no axial triradius is present. The configuration generally occurs on right hands but is sometimes found on both hands. The frequency in the few European populations studied and in one Canadian sample varies from 0.2 per cent to over 2 per cent of persons. Hypothenar radial arches have also been reported in patients with abnormal sex chromosomes but are not specific to any karyotype. Two families are described in which nearly related persons have hypothenar radial arches. They provide the first evidence that the pattern is inherited. In one family three out of six sibs have radial arches in the hypothenar area and so have two out of three children of one of them. In the other family a pair of identical twins and their mother have hypothenar radial arches. It is suggested that, from the information available, inheritance is probably due to a recessive gene.