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1. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.16, 2014
127
Volar Digital Transverse Creases of the Nigerians
Moses O. Adetona
Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Email: soladet@fastmail.fm
Abstract
The volar transverse creases of the second to fifth fingers have been shown to be genetically influenced and not caused
primarily by embryonic flexion movements. The presence of extra, displaced and missing volar digital transverse creases in
individuals with normal joint anatomy may reveal abnormalities.
This study aims at documenting the prevalence patterns of volar digital transverse creases of digits II-V in the normal
Nigerian hands.
Volar digital transverse creases of the digits II-V of 303 male and 168 female Nigerians were studied using palm prints
obtained by ink method.
Single crease (M) had highest frequency in the distal crease, followed by proximal crease and then middle crease. Double
crease (D) frequency was highest in the middle phalanx, followed by proximal crease and then distal crease. Triple (T)
frequency was highest in the middle phalanx; it was not common in the proximal and distal phalanx. Frequency of E and E+
creases were common in the middle phalanx, followed by distal phalanx and less common in the proximal phalanx.
No differences exist between male and female digital creases of Nigerians, there is reduced frequency of the crease types T, E
and E+
in all the fingers of male and female, and the male fingers II-IV showed absent E and E+
in the proximal phalanx.
Keywords: Digital, Transverse, Creases, Nigerians.
Introduction
The dermatoglyphic ridges of the anterior (palmar or volar) of the fingers are interrupted by three transverse creases on digits
II to IV and two transverse creases on digit V. These transverse creases are misnormally referred to as digital flexion creases,
though embryological strong evidence revealed that these volar digital transverse creases are not caused primarily by
embryonic flexion movements (Wurth, 1937, Aue-Hauser, 1979 and Okijama, 1980). The presence of extra, displaced and
missing volar digital transverse creases in individuals with normal joint anatomy and unusual volar digital transverse crease
variants in a number of syndromes indicate that genetic factors were involved in the formation of these creases.
Supernumerary volar digital transverse creases had been reported in Allagile syndrome (Binita et al., 2002), foetal alcohol
syndrome (Jones and Smith, 1973), partial deletions of chromosome 1q (Watson, et al., 1986), cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal
syndrome (Lurie et al., 1976). Okajima (1967) proved high heritability of metacarpophalangeal transverse volar creases.
This study aims at documenting the prevalence patterns of volar digital transverse creases of digits II-V in the normal
Nigerian hands with the exception of the digit I (thumb) because of its different anatomy.
Materials and Method
Hand prints were taken randomly by ink from 303 male and 168 female Nigerians of 18 to 80 years of age. Prints that clearly
revealed (proximal) metacarpophalangeal transverse creases, (middle) interphalangeal creases and distal interphalangeal
creases were used and classified according to Aue-Hauser et al (1980) as mono (M) if a single crease is at the normal site,
double (D) if two creases is at the normal site and triple (T) if three creases is at the normal site. Extra (E) crease is defined
according to Dejong and Platou (1967) and Aue-Hauser et al (1980) as crease that is separated from the usual
interphalangeal creases by two or more epidermal ridges and the crease must not connect the usual interphalangeal crease.
The Extra+ (E+
) crease is the extra crease variation that is lying approximately in the middle of the phalanx.
Results and Discussion
Table I and Fig II show the frequency distribution of the types of creases on the proximal, middle and distal phalanges of
the fingers II – IV. Single crease (M) had highest frequency in the distal crease, followed by proximal crease and then
middle crease.
Double crease (D) frequency was highest in the middle phalanx, followed by proximal crease and then distal crease. Triple
(T) frequency was highest in the middle phalanx; it was not common in the proximal and distal phalanx. Frequency of E and
E+
creases were common in the middle phalanx, follow by distal phalanx and less common in the proximal phalanx.
All the types of crease show higher frequencies in the male than female in the middle phalanx followed by distal phalanx
and less common in the proximal phalanx.
There are no patterns differences in both right and left hand, both single and double creases tend to be more frequent in
both hands and all the fingers contrary to Aue-Hauser et al (1980) which revealed that low numbered creases (M and D) tend
to have higher frequencies in the proximal phalanx in comparison of crease forms of Japanese and Vietnamese. No obvious
pattern differences exist between male and female digital crease pattern of Nigerians, except reduced frequency of the crease
types T, E and E+
in all the fingers of male and female, although the male fingers II-IV showed absent E and E+
in the
proximal phalanx.
Conclusions: Comparison of male and female single fingers revealed tendency of male to have higher frequencies of all the
form of creases and this is found in both right and left hands of Nigerians.
It will be of interest in future analysis to evaluate the form of creases in different ethnic populations for identifications and
medicolegal applications.

2. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.16, 2014
128
Table I Frequencies of creases for each phalanx in male and female Nigerians
Finger II
R L
III
R L
IV
R L
V
R L
Distal
phalanx
crease(DP)
♂
M ♀
♂
D ♀
♂
T ♀
♂
E ♀
♂
E+
♀
128 124
59.5 57.5
3 5.5
5.5 8.5
- -
0.5 -
3 1.5
1 2.5
2 3.5
1 1
128.5 120.5
57 54
3 6.5
8 12
- 0.5
- -
7 6
4 4.5
3 4
2 3.5
128.5 117
60.5 53
2.5 11
3.5 11.5
- 1
- -
4 2
2.5 3.5
3 6
2 3
121.5 115
59 50.5
4 9.5
7.5 22.5
- 0.5
0.5 -
0.5 0.5
2.5 1
1 1.5
0.5 1
Middle
phalanx
creases(MP)
♂
M ♀
♂
D ♀
♂
T ♀
♂
E ♀
♂
E+
♀
23 23 12.5
12.5
104 98
48 40
3 6
4 9
13 18
9.5 11
19.5 14
11.5 8.5
23.5 22.5
16 14.5
100.5 96
47.5 34.5
5 9.5
5 10
20 24.5
16.5 5
16 23.5
12 16
20.5 16
10.5 9.5
103 98
43 38.5
5 9
7.5 12.5
14.5 18.5
12.5 8
18.5 23.5
10 15.5
20.5 14.5
9.5 8.5
103.5 99
46.5 39.5
5 11
6.5 11.5
7.5 7.5
3 5.5
3 4
2 4
Proximal
phalanx
creases(PP)
♂
M ♀
♂
D ♀
♂
T ♀
♂
E ♀
♂
E+
♀
88 83
35 35.5
13.5 12.5
13 16
- -
2.5 0.5
- -
0.5 0.5
- -
- 0.5
40 39.5
16.5 18
21 20
15.5 17.5
- -
1 1.5
- 1
1 1.5
- 1.5
0.5 -
53 38.5
17.5 13.5
25 25.5
23.5 23
- -
1.5 3.5
- 0.5
0.5 -
- 1
0.5 -
69 53.5
25.5 24.5
22 32
24.5 22
- 0.5
1 1.5
1 0.5
1 1.5
- 1
- 1

3. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.16, 2014
129
Fig I
TYPES OF CREASE ACCORDING TO THE CLASSIFICATION
TWO
CREASES
[DOUBLE (D)]
EXTRA+
[E+
]
EXTRA
CREASE [E]
SINGLE
CREASE
[MONO(M)]
THREE
CREASES
[TRIPLE (T)]

4. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.16, 2014
130
Fig II
Frequency of the Crease types of phalangeal lines of the fingers of Nigerians
FrequencyofCreasetypes
Finger and Crease types
Male Right
PP
MP
DP
PP=Proximal phalanx MP=Middle Phalanx DP=Distal phalanx
Frequencyofcreasetypes
Fingers and Crease types
Female Right
PP
MP
DP
PP=Proximal phalanx MP=Middle phalanx DP=Distal phalanx

5. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.16, 2014
131
References
Aue-Hauser G. (1979), Magna Brush technique in dermatoglyphic research. Amer. J. Phys. Anthrop., 51:97
Binita M. Kamath, Kathleen M. Loomes, Rebecca J. Oakey and Ian D. Krantz. (2002), Supernumerary digital
flexion creases: An additional clinical manifestation of Alagille syndrome. American Journal of Medical
Genetics 112:171-175.
Dejong R. and Platou R.V. (1967), Sickle cell hemoglobinopathy. Amer. J. Dis. Child., 113:271-273.
Jones KL, Smith DW. 1973, Recognition of the fetal alcohol syndrome in early infancy. Lancet 2:999-1001.
Lurie IW, Cherstvoy ED, Lazjuk GI, Nedzved MK, Usoev SS. (1976), Further evidence for the autosomal
recessive inheritance of the COFS syndrome. Clin Genet 10:343-346.
Okajima. (1967), Metacarpophalangeal and ring creases in twins. Amer. J. Phys. Anthrop., 25:349-356
Watson MS, Gargus JJ, Blakemore KJ, Katz SN, Breg WR. (1986), Chromosome deletion 1q42-43. Am J Med
Genet 24:1-6.
Wurth A. (1937), Die Entstehung der Beugefurchen der menschlichen Hohlhand. Z. Morph. Anthrop., 36:187-
214.
FrequencyofCreasetypes
Finger and Crease types
Male Left
PP
MP
DP
PP=Proximal phalanx MP=Middle phalanx DP=Distal phalanx
FrequencyofCreasetypes
Finger and Crease types
Female Left
PP
MP
DP
PP=Proximal phalanx MP=Middle phalanx DP=Distal phalanx

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