The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there is a correlation between the times of closure of the epiphyses of the hand and the time of ossification of the ulnar sesamoid of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb.
The time for these events was studied in twenty-three males and fourteen females for which appropriate hand radiographs were available. Radiographs were made every three months and epiphyseal closure was studied in these beginning with the one in which the sesamoid first appeared. The maximum time for study after sesamoid closure was twenty-four months.
Only one subject showed complete closure of the epiphyses of the hand during study. Most subjects were only approaching 40-50 percent closure. No really dependable sequence of epiphyseal closure appeared but there were two epiphyses (proximal phalanx of fourth and fifth digit) which closed earliest in a large percentage of the patients. On the basis of the number of subjects followed and the time they were followed it is difficult to make any predictions dependent on which particular epiphyses are closed.
Graphs were made of the average number of epiphyses closed as a function of time post sesamoid appearance. These showed that there is a general trend for rapid increase in closure starting about fifteen months post sesamoid appearance. The limited number of subjects suggests that the individual behavior is so variable as to make prediction unreliable within the time interval covered by the study.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there is a correlation between the times of closure of the epiphyses of the hand and the time of ossification of the ulnar sesamoid of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb.</p> <p>The time for these events was studied in twenty-three males and fourteen females for which appropriate hand radiographs were available. Radiographs were made every three months and epiphyseal closure was studied in these beginning with the one in which the sesamoid first appeared. The maximum time for study after sesamoid closure was twenty-four months.</p> <p>Only one subject showed complete closure of the epiphyses of the hand during study. Most subjects were only approaching 40-50 percent closure. No really dependable sequence of epiphyseal closure appeared but there were two epiphyses (proximal phalanx of fourth and fifth digit) which closed earliest in a large percentage of the patients. On the basis of the number of subjects followed and the time they were followed it is difficult to make any predictions dependent on which particular epiphyses are closed.</p> <p>Graphs were made of the average number of epiphyses closed as a function of time post sesamoid appearance. These showed that there is a general trend for rapid increase in closure starting about fifteen months post sesamoid appearance. The limited number of subjects suggests that the individual behavior is so variable as to make prediction unreliable within the time interval covered by the study.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lentz, Hilbert"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ronald D. Walters","Alden B. Chase","Lee E. Olsen","Walter L. Stilson","Richard L. Thompkins"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1970,"date_issued":"1970-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1970-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:37Z","subjects":["Orthodontics and Orthodontology","Epiphyses; Osteogenesis Growth"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1325","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ronald D. Walters","Alden B. Chase","Lee E. Olsen","Walter L. Stilson","Richard L. Thompkins"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lentz, Hilbert"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Orthodontics and Orthodontology","Epiphyses; Osteogenesis Growth"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1325"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there is a correlation between the times of closure of the epiphyses of the hand and the time of ossification of the ulnar sesamoid of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb.
The time for these events was studied in twenty-three males and fourteen females for which appropriate hand radiographs were available. Radiographs were made every three months and epiphyseal closure was studied in these beginning with the one in which the sesamoid first appeared. The maximum time for study after sesamoid closure was twenty-four months.
Only one subject showed complete closure of the epiphyses of the hand during study. Most subjects were only approaching 40-50 percent closure. No really dependable sequence of epiphyseal closure appeared but there were two epiphyses (proximal phalanx of fourth and fifth digit) which closed earliest in a large percentage of the patients. On the basis of the number of subjects followed and the time they were followed it is difficult to make any predictions dependent on which particular epiphyses are closed.
Graphs were made of the average number of epiphyses closed as a function of time post sesamoid appearance. These showed that there is a general trend for rapid increase in closure starting about fifteen months post sesamoid appearance. The limited number of subjects suggests that the individual behavior is so variable as to make prediction unreliable within the time interval covered by the study.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Correlation of the Epiphyseal Closure and Ossification of the Ulnar Sesamoid Bone of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ronald D. Walters","Alden B. Chase","Lee E. Olsen","Walter L. Stilson","Richard L. Thompkins"],"dc:creator":["Lentz, Hilbert"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there is a correlation between the times of closure of the epiphyses of the hand and the time of ossification of the ulnar sesamoid of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb.
The time for these events was studied in twenty-three males and fourteen females for which appropriate hand radiographs were available. Radiographs were made every three months and epiphyseal closure was studied in these beginning with the one in which the sesamoid first appeared. The maximum time for study after sesamoid closure was twenty-four months.
Only one subject showed complete closure of the epiphyses of the hand during study. Most subjects were only approaching 40-50 percent closure. No really dependable sequence of epiphyseal closure appeared but there were two epiphyses (proximal phalanx of fourth and fifth digit) which closed earliest in a large percentage of the patients. On the basis of the number of subjects followed and the time they were followed it is difficult to make any predictions dependent on which particular epiphyses are closed.
Graphs were made of the average number of epiphyses closed as a function of time post sesamoid appearance. These showed that there is a general trend for rapid increase in closure starting about fifteen months post sesamoid appearance. The limited number of subjects suggests that the individual behavior is so variable as to make prediction unreliable within the time interval covered by the study.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/1325"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Orthodontics and Orthodontology","Epiphyses; Osteogenesis Growth"],"dc:title":["Correlation of the Epiphyseal Closure and Ossification of the Ulnar Sesamoid Bone of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:53:37Z"}