title: Hair distribution on the phalanges of the hand among Kanuris and Baburs/Buras of north-eastern Nigeria.
abstract: One thousand four hundred and seven Kanuri and Babur/Bura subjects of north-eastern Nigeria were selected randomly in order to determine the frequency and distribution patterns of midphalangeal hair of their hands. Of these, 25.2% possessed hair on the middle phalanges (approximately 26% of males and 24% of females). Therefore, the sex difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.2704). There was, however, a significant effect of age (p < 0.05), by which the incidence increased to a peak in the 10- to 15-year age group and, thereafter, decreased gradually to a maximum age of 35 years. The frequency order of occurrence of midphalangeal hair was 4 > 3 > 5 > 2. Eight patterns of hair distribution were found, but no subject had exclusive presence of hair on the middle phalanx of the index finger. The 3, 4, 5 finger combination was the most frequent. Hair on the proximal phalanx was absent in 8% of males and 7.6% of females. There was an ulnar rather than a radial shift in the distribution of midphalangeal hair, a phenomenon which might have been due to a shift in the morphogenetic gradient during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Mbajiorgu
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Asala
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ejiwunmi
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Abdullahi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006197:Hair / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria