An anatomical and osteometric study of the femoral sulcus angle in adult Malawians.

BACKGROUND: Femoral sulcus angle is particularly important in clinical evaluation of patellofemoral joint. Individuals show considerable differences in asymmetrical dimensions of the femur. OBJECTIVES: To determine the size of femoral sulcus angles in adult black Malawians using the skeletal collection in the department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and assess their gender differences; to compare femoral sulcus angles of Malawians with other ethnic groups. METHODS: A cross sectional study was done in which femoral sulcus angles of dry bones were measured using a goniometer. RESULTS: There is no significant difference in the mean sulcus angles between right and left femora in males (p=0.8100) and females (p=0.0742); between all males combined and females combined (p=0.8845). There is a significant difference in the mean between all left femora combined and all right femora combined (p=0.0260). CONCLUSION: This study has provided the mean size of the femoral sulcus angle of adult Malawians. These findings suggest that the size of the sulcus angle cannot determine gender among adult black Malawians suggesting the interpretation that femora asymmetric dimensions are population specific, which should be considered in the patellofemoral joint evaluation.

Arch index as a predictor of pes planus: a comparative study of indigenous Kenyans and Tanzanians.

We determined the arch index of able-bodied indigenous Kenyan and Tanzanian individuals free of foot pain by using their dynamic footprints to classify the foot arch type and determine the prevalence of pes planus according to a previously described method. Males had a significantly higher arch index than females in both groups, and the prevalence of pes planus in Kenyans was 432 per 1,000 population, the highest ever documented and twice as high as that in Tanzanians (203 per 1,000 population). The arch index is useful in determining the prevalence of pes planus and possibly predicting pathologic foot conditions, and it may serve as an early warning sign of structural and functional defects of the foot in a given population.

The femoral collodiaphyseal angle in Malawian adults.

We used unilateral anteroposterior radiographs to measure the collodiaphyseal angle of the hip in 368 Malawian adults--222 men and 146 women 18 to 76 years old. The angle ranged from 105 degrees to 144 degrees (mean, 121.09 degrees; SD, 7.17 degrees). Results confirmed that the angle was wider in men than in women-indicating dimorphism based on sex--but no Malawian could be identified by sex using the recommended demarking point method of Jit and Singh (1966). The importance of the angle and its usefulness to practicing orthopedic surgeons in this part of the world are emphasized.

Palmar and digital dermatoglyphics of indigenous black Zimbabweans.

BACKGROUND: Dermatoglyphic traits have been shown to be genetically determined, conservative in their evolution, and different between and within population groups. There have been a few reports dealing with Southern African populations, but there appears to be no published report for indigenous black Zimbabweans. MATERIAL/METHODS: Bilateral palmar and digital prints of 270 indigenous black Zimbabweans were recorded, studied and classified using standard methods. The total finger ridge count (TFRC), pattern intensity index (PII), atd angle, and a-b ridge counts were analyzed and the data compared with those of Malawians, South African Zulus and Nigerian Yorubas. RESULTS: Ulnar loops were the most predominant digital pattern type in both sexes followed by whorls in males and arches in females. Females had significantly higher atd angles than males (p<0.01). Significant differences were also demonstrated between Zimbabwean and Malawian females, and between Zimbabwean and Yoruba men in TFRC and a-b ridge counts. Similarly significant differences were observed between Zimbabwean and Malawian males, male Zimbabweans and Yoruba, and male Zulus and Yorubas in atd angle and a-b ridge counts (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study documents similarities in digital ridge patterns between Zimbabweans, Malawians, and to some extent South African Zulus, indicating their close historical and anthropological relationship. However, Zimbabweans could be differentiated from the other population groups using certain dermatoglyphic traits. Nevertheless, all the groups showed some features common to other black Africans.