Radiological Study of Interphalangeal Sesamoid Bones on Hallux in Korean Subjects

한국인에서 족무지 지관절의 종자골에 대한 방사선학적 연구

Purpose: Frequency of sesamoid bone on hallucal interphalangeal joint has been described to be low probability in orthopaedic and anatomical literature. We have, however, experienced two cases of interphalangeal joint dislocation giving difficulty to usual manipulative reduction because of presence of sesamoid bone recently. In order to ascertain existence of sesamoid bone on interphalangeal joint of hallux in Korean adults, radiological study have been performed with feet of patients Materials and Methods: Between May 2003 and October 2006, 974 patients with 1098 radiographs of feet which were reached skeletal maturity over 18-year-old were examined. Unilateral or bilateral anteroposterior, lateral and oblique radiographs were observed by one same person and presence was recorded if there was sesamoid in films. Distance of long and short axes were measured in lateral view and cases of two sesamoids in interphalangeal joint were recorded. Statistical differences between left and right side or between men and women were evaluated by chi-square test. Results: Frequency of sesamoid was 980 cases (89.3%) and no occurrence in 118 cases (10.7%). Two sesamoids were observed in 3 cases. Average distance of long axis was 4.9 mm (range, 0.5-11.4) and average distance of short axis was 3.5 mm (range, 0.3-9.3). Unilateral sesamoid was observed in 7 patients (5.6%), bilateral absence was 7 patients (5.6%) and bilateral sesamoids in 110 patients (88.8%) out of 124 patients who took bilateral feet radiographs. Men has less frequency than women significantly (p=0.014) while there was no significant difference in frequency according to side(p>0.05). Conclusion: Sesamoid bone was seen in 980 feet (89.3%) out of 1098 normal Korean radiological studies of feet. We report 3 cases of two seamoids which was extremely rarely reported in literature. Korean frequency is similar with Japanese, but much higher than Caucasians and black Africans.