A study of human foot length growth in the early fetal period.

The length of the human fetal foot was studied in 106 feet from 53 unfixed staged human fetuses (35 males and 18 females) by means of the allometric formula log Y = log b+k log X. The gestational age ranged from 13 to 26 weeks postconception. The measurement taken from the heel to the tip of the longest toe was regarded here as the maximum length of the foot. Growth in length of the foot was analysed in relation to crown-rump length. Our results show that foot length growth is correlated to crown-rump growth and is allometrically positive. No statistically significant difference was found between right and left feet or between male and female fetuses.