The metacarpal index of normal Nigerian children.

The metacarpal index (MCI) of 500 normal Nigerian children whose ages range from birth to 16 years was determined. The MCI of Nigerian children is higher than that of their Caucasian counterpart, but similar to that of Jamaican children. The adult range of MCI is reached at the relatively low age of 9 years. The index is higher in females than males and the value for the left hand is higher than that for the right hand.