An: 2012, Nr.3, Articol Nr. 6

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      MORPHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF THE SESAMOID BONES IN THE HAND (Abstract): Sesamoid bones are present on the palm of the hand Rouvière (1) and Picioruţ (2) most commonly encountered in the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb (1,2) and Beauthier (3), an aspect also assessed by us on 55 sesamoid bones. We found 26 cases (47.27% of cases) on the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, only 9 cases (16.36% of cases) strictly corresponding to the joint space while the remaining cases, 17 cases (29.09% of cases) with more or less contact with metacarpal head. In 29 cases (57.73% of cases), the sesamoid bones were located next to the head of metacarpal I, therefore over joint spacing. A single thumb sesamoid was met in 21 cases (38.18% of cases), the most common being located medially (9 cases), then anteriorly (7 cases), and in 5 cases, the sesamoid was located on the lateral face. According to (1), there are usually 2 sesamoids, one medial and one lateral. We found two sesamoids in 33 cases (60% of cases), but most often they were medial and anterior, an aspect found in 17 cases (30.91% of cases), both of them are located medially in 10 cases (18.18% of cases), and in 6 cases (10.91% of cases) one was located medially and one laterally; so the quoted version of (1) was encountered in the lowest percentage. In one case, we found three sesamoid bones, an aspect that none of our quoted authors ever mentioned. (1) and (2) shows the presence of sesamoids next to other metacarpophalangeal joints, most commonly, according to (1), in the index and auricularis joints. We met only 2 cases with one sesamoid next to the lateral surface of the index and none for other fingers. (1) quote the rare but possible presence of sesamoid bones next to the interphalangeal joint of the thumb, something that we’ve seen in 3 cases (5% of cases). For (1 and 2), the sesamoid bones showed a shape of sesame seed, (1) giving a rounded shape for the medial sesamoid and an oval shape for the lateral one. We found more frequently an oval shape, in 30 cases (50% of cases), in 27 cases finding them a round shape (45% of cases), 3 cases (5% of cases) with semilunar form, an aspect not cited by literature.

Key words: OS SESAMOIDEUM MORPHOLOGY