Factor structure of morphometric variables measured on six metacarpal bones.
Morphometry of the second, third and fourth metacarpal bone was performed on hand-wrist radiograms of both hands in a sample of 434 male and 549 female adult subjects. Morphometric data (bone length-L, total diaphysis width-T and medullary canal width-M) and age were processed using principal factor analysis with oblique rotation, separately for males and females. In both sexes three factors accounting for 74.7% of the total variance were extracted, but their patterns of variation differed. Factors-"cumulative environmental-genetic factor", "longitudinal factor", and "transversal factor"-are discussed within the context of their biological meaning affecting the phenotypic formation of metacarpal skeleton in a given population.
Simić
D
D
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, University of Zagreb, Republic of Croatia.
Chaventre
A
A
Plato
C C
CC
Tobin
J D
JD
Rudan
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050279:Metacarpal Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D015022:Yugoslavia