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Related Experiment Videos

Normal length changes in hand bones during adulthood: exploratory study of ray two.

R G Behrents1, E F Harris

  • 1Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee, Memphis.

Annals of Human Biology
|May 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Adult finger bones change length over time. The distal and middle phalanges grow longer, while the metacarpal bone shrinks, according to a study of adult hand radiographs.

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Area of Science:

  • Anthropology
  • Human Anatomy
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Bone length changes are well-documented during growth and development.
  • Longitudinal changes in adult bone length, particularly in the appendicular skeleton, are less understood.
  • Understanding adult bone remodeling is crucial for fields like forensic anthropology and gerontology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally analyze changes in the length of the four epiphyseal bones of the index finger (ray two) during adulthood.
  • To quantify age-related length alterations in the distal and middle phalanges, proximal phalange, and metacarpal bone.
  • To investigate whether these changes are statistically significant and discernible in cross-sectional data.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal analysis of standardized hand-wrist radiographs from 37 individuals.

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  • Comparison of radiographs from earlier (mean age 22 years) and later (mean age 54 years) adult age-grades.
  • Measurement of total length changes in the distal and middle phalanges, proximal phalange, and metacarpal bone of the index finger.

    • Main Results:

    • The distal and middle phalanges of the index finger showed a statistically significant increase in overall length during adulthood.
    • The proximal phalange of the index finger exhibited no significant change in length.
    • The metacarpal bone of the index finger demonstrated a significant decrease in size over the adult lifespan studied.

    Conclusions:

    • Significant, albeit subtle, bone length changes occur in the adult index finger, with specific bones exhibiting distinct remodeling patterns.
    • Distal and middle phalanges lengthen, while metacarpals shorten, suggesting differential adult bone plasticity.
    • The underlying causes for these specific adult bone length changes remain speculative and warrant further investigation.