54 A NEW TYPE OF BRACHYPHALANGY IN MAN. 



It will be seen from table 4 that 22 of the measures obtained from 

 the radiographs fall within the classes which are represented in Pfitz- 

 ner's material. 21 measures are seen to be grouped in the correlation 

 table close around the line which represents the axis of the " swarm" 

 formed by Pfitzner's numbers. These are all from hands which by our 

 examination are found to be normal. They are obtained from children's 

 hands and this is the reason why they do not fall within Pfitzner's 

 classes, his material consisting only of hands from adult individuals. 



We would expect from Holmgren's work (1910) that the checking 

 of growth in length of the second row of phalanges should start some- 

 what earlier on the radial side and proceed gradually to the ulnar 

 side. Thus hands of brachyphalangous children may appear more 

 nearly normal than they will later. This may disturb the comparative 

 value of measurements from children's hands, but the difference 

 would not be significant. 



Twenty-nine measures fall outside the limits of extreme variation 

 in normal hands, as clearly demonstrated in the correlation table. 

 These measures are all obtained from individuals who by our external 

 examination are found to be brachyphalangous. Five of the 22 

 measures which fall within Pfitzner's classes are also obtained from 

 individuals above described as brachyphalangous. Two of these 

 measurements are found in the extreme normal classes 20 mm. to 26 

 mm. and 21 mm. to 26 mm., respectively. They represent the hands 

 of the individual 1151.2 9S.G. That she was brachyphalangous is 

 proved by the fact that she had a brachyphalangous son. The intro- 

 duction of the length of the index phalanx of the right hand in the 

 class 21 mm. to 26 mm. is open to doubt. The individual lost, as 

 already stated, her right ring finger by an accident, so that the length of 

 IV 2 is unknown. Judging from the very high correlation between 112 

 and IV 2 less error is probably involved by this proceeding than by 

 omitting the measure of her right index phalanx from the correlation 

 table. 



The two measurements in class 22 mm. to 27 mm. represent the 

 phalanx lengths of the individual 194.8 cf H. ft. That he is to be 

 regarded as brachyphalangous is indicated by the aspect of the volar 

 side of his indices and by the marked shortening of phalanx II of his 

 right foot, shown in the radiograph (fig. 50). 



The measurement in the extreme normal class 22 mm. to 29 mm. 

 represent the values from the right hand of 1943. 1 cf E. A. L. The 

 measurements from his left hand fall outside the limits of variation in 

 normal hands and his brachyphalangy is clearly indicated by the ex- 

 ternal aspect of his hands. 



When these five measurements are added to the 29 which fall outside 

 the limits of variation in the normal hands we have in all 34 phalanx 

 measurements representing brachyphalangous individuals, indicated 

 in the table by vertical marks. 



