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Biphalangia of the lateral toes. A study on the incidence in a Swedish population together with some observations on digital sesamoid bones in the foot
Author(s) -
Sandström Björn,
Hedman Gunnar
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330340103
Subject(s) - sesamoid bone , phalanx , incidence (geometry) , proximal phalanx , foot (prosody) , hoof , population , european population , anatomy , medicine , danish , surgery , radiography , mathematics , linguistics , philosophy , geometry , environmental health
The incidence of a two‐phalangeal fifth toe in a Swedish population has been investigated in a series of 496 persons. The incidence is about 35% without significant differences between sexes or between age groups. The figure coincides with that found in studies on German, English and Danish populations but differs from that of American and that of Japanese populations. It is concluded that the cause of this anomaly is genetic and that the two‐phalangeal fifth toe may be an important parameter in racial studies and for the identification of an individual. Each phalanx in the two‐phalangeal toe is on the average almost 5 mm longer than its counterpart in the three‐phalangeal variety, resulting in the paradoxic fact that the three‐phalangeal toe is shorter on the average than the two‐phalangeal one. The numbers of sesamoid bones in various locations of the toes are presented.