Hands “manly” would be a sign of an increased risk of suffering a knee injury, according to a new study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
The research, which surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults middle-aged and older, showed a higher risk of injury in the relationship between men with a greater difference in the length of their index and ring fingers.
In general, men tend to have relatively shorter index fingers and ring fingers longer, while women have more equity in the length of those two fingers. It is believed that an important difference between the two fingers, both men and women, reflect a greater exposure to the hormone testosterone in the womb.
Ida Haugen Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and his team analyzed data from 1,020 U.S. adults aged 51 to 92 years, and focused on his history of knee injuries and arthritis symptoms. They also observed x-rays, much of this area as out of hand.
Overall, 28% of men and 23% of women said they had injured his knee badly enough to be unable to set foot on at least a few days. The chances of getting this type of damage was 78% higher among the third of men with the greatest disparity in the length of your fingers, compared to the third with the smallest difference between them.
There was no recorded relationship between the length of the fingers and knee injuries among women, nor between this parameter and arthritis in either sex.
Some studies have linked the “male” pattern of the fingers with higher levels of aggression and athletic prowess, while others have linked him with certain health conditions such as arthritis of the knee and hand. No one knows why these links exist, but one theory is that exposure to testosterone in early life may play a key role.
The cartilage that cushions the joints is sensitive to testosterone, so it is possible that greater exposure to this hormone in a way that makes the tissue more vulnerable to damage, Haugen wrote.
Since the pattern has been associated with aggression and athletic ability, it is also possible that men with this feature are more likely to engage in situations where they may be injured.
But then, men with long ring fingers should worry about your knees? Probably not, researchers said.
The risk of a person from injury or arthritis in the joint depends much more on factors such as age, physical activity and body weight.