Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Standardized Histomorphometric Evaluation of Osteoarthritis in a Surgical Mouse Model
Published on: May 6, 2020
Morphology of sesamoid bones in keyboard musicians
K P Dąbrowski1, H Stankiewicz-Jóźwicka2, A Kowalczyk3
1Department of Descriptive and Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. k.p.dabr@gmail.com.
Background:
The sesamoid bones are small, usually oval bone structures often found in joints and under the tendons. Although their precise function is not fully understood, it is agreed upon that they protect the joints and make movements faster and less energy consuming. Sesamoid bones are found in hands, especially around first, second and fifth metacarpophalangeal joint and the interphalangeal joint of the thumb.
Materials And Methods:
This study compares a group of 32 young musicians to 30 non-musicians of similar age and posture. The hands of the subjects were examined by ultrasound imaging for the presence of sesamoid bones. The results were noted and observed sesamoids were measured.
Results:
The results seem to prove that although there are no difference in the amount or the location of the sesamoid bones between the musicians and the non-musicians, there is statistically significant tendency for the musicians to have bigger sum of the sesamoid's volume per hand (Fisher's test p-value = 0.034 < 0.05).
Conclusions:
There was also observed an unusually shaped "Bactrian" sesamoid bone at the interphalangeal joint of the thumb in 8 cases in the musicians' group and 1 case in the control group. All participants with the aforementioned structure were female.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Classification of Bones
Long and Short Bones
The appendicular skeleton, particularly the upper and lower limbs, is primarily made of long and short bones. The...
01:16Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella
01:19Bones of the Upper Limb: Humerus
01:09Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
01:13Microscopic Anatomy of Skeletal Muscles
The muscle sarcolemma is a plasma membrane enclosing each muscle cell that conducts electrical signals called action potentials. The sarcolemma extends into the cell to form T-tubules, ensuring the neural impulses are uniformly distributed across the entire muscle...
01:17Muscles of the Forearm that Move the Hand and Fingers
Anterior Compartment
The anterior compartment muscles originate from the humerus. They primarily function as flexors and are also known as flexor muscles. They typically insert on the carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges. The superficial layer includes the flexor carpi...