Prevalence of metacarpophalangeal sesamoid bones of the hand in Turkish population

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and location of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) sesamoid bones using computed tomography (CT) images. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 767 hands of 735 patients (503 males, 232 females; mean age: 36.9±17.0 years; range, 18 to 105 years) obtained from picture archiving and communication system were retrospectively analyzed between January 2016 and December 2019. The sesamoid bones of MCP joints I, II, III, IV, and V were recorded. Data including age, sex, side, number, pathologies, and location of the sesamoid bones were recorded. RESULTS: The prevalence of sesamoid bones was found to be 100%, 37.61%, 1.17%, 0.5%, and 80% in MCP I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the sex of the patient and presence of sesamoid bone at MCP II or MCP V (p>0.970 and p=0.176, respectively). The presence of sesamoid bone at MCP II was statistically significantly correlated with the presence of sesamoid bone at MCP V (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the side and sesamoid prevalence in the remaining 703 patients (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MCP V sesamoid bone is higher than previous studies from our country. The CT of hand can be used to determine sesamoid fractures and degenerative conditions of sesamoids.