I Just Learned Why I Have An 'Innie' Belly Button, And I'm Horrified

An 'innie' belly buttonI was a weird kid – I used to be very jealous of people who were left-handed, and desperately wanted an outie belly button (I don’t know what was going on with me either). Like 90% of people, though, I very much have an “innie”. I’d always known that belly buttons in general were a kind of “scar” caused by the removal of the umbilical cord; some people thought that how the cord was cut affected the shape of our navel. Scientists have long known that’s not true, but now, some researchers think they’ve discovered a “sheath” that can explain the differences further. So, why do innie belly buttons happen?A paper published in September found a “tunnel-like fibrous structure – termed the ‘umbilical sheath’” – which scientists think “likely supports and maintains the concavity of the umbilicus”.In other words, most of us may have an “innie” because of a, well, fleshy “innie tube” that secures our navel to our abdomen (lovely).The scientists wanted to look deeper at the structure of the abdomen, including the navel, in the hopes of reducing the number of hernias around the belly button caused by muscle weakness following surgery. So, they used five kadavers to create incredibly fine-detail 3D imaging of the area, where they learned about the “previously undescribed” sheath.The study’s lead author, Satoru Muro from the Institute of Science, Tokyo, said: “The structure is composed of densely-oriented collagen fibres arranged circumferentially like a sleeve, which we have named the ‘umbilical sheath.’“This sheath appears to anchor the umbilical depression to the deep fascia in all directions” – in other words, it keeps an innie, in.I don’t know about you, but that news makes me feel a bit uncomfortable (useful as it might prove for surgeons).So, what causes outies? This study didn’t include any “outie” belly button examples, so the scientists couldn’t model them. Nonetheless, Muro speculated that this finding might explain the convex type of navel, too. “Individual differences in the development or robustness of the umbilical sheath could contribute to outward-projecting umbilici,” the researcher suggested. In other words, those with weaker or thinner “umbilical sheaths” might have “outies”, though more research would be needed to prove that. Either way, the more we know about the area, the better for both surgeons and patients – “recognition of this structure may contribute to safer surgical approaches,” the paper reads.Related...I Just Learned The Real History Of Monopoly, And It's DarkI Just Learned Why Suit Jackets Have Sleeve Buttons, And I Had No IdeaPeople Are Just Learning What The 'Most Complex' Word In English Is, And Huh

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