Dorsal Hand Veins as a Unique Biometric Identifier: A Study in the Omani Population

Background: Dorsal veins form a network on the dorsum of the hand. The dorsal venous arch drains into the basilic and cephalic veins. Purpose: The study aimed to observe and analyze the characteristics of dorsal metacarpal veins using a descriptive observational approach. Methods: A total of 99 pairs of hands were analyzed. Inclusion criteria required participants to have no prior hand conditions that would obstruct vein observation. We excluded images of hands with poor quality, no visible veins, or physical obstructions. We used the Vein Scanner mobile application, supported by high-resolution photography with cameras of 48 and 64 megapixel resolution. Photos were captured using a fixed tripod in reflection mode, with the image quality enhanced by increased illumination and image processing techniques. Demographic and activity-related data were collected from all participants. Results: Among the total 190 hands analyzed, 180 exhibited prominent veins according to gender, the second vein was the most prominent in males (n = 44) and females (n = 50). Similarly, the third vein was more prominent in males (n = 41) compared to females (n = 27). For the fourth vein, prominence was higher in females (n = 10) than males (n = 5). The overall proportional representation of vein prominence revealed that the second vein accounted for the majority of observations (49.47%), followed by the third vein (35.79%), the fourth vein (7.89%), and the first vein (1.58%). These findings highlight the dominance of the second vein in the dorsal metacarpal region across the studied population and suggest its potential utility as a stable biometric marker. Conclusion: The study results provide a comprehensive analysis of dorsal metacarpal vein patterns in a cohort of young Omani students, contributing insight into these veins' anatomical and biometric characteristics. The findings reveal that the second dorsal metacarpal vein is the dominant vessel within the dorsal venous network of the hand, emerging as the most prominent vein.