A study of nutrient foramina in the long bones humeri and its surgical importance

Background: The anatomical position and distribution of nutrient foramina is necessary for the success of orthopedics surgical procedures such as joint replacement therapy, fracture repair and bone grafts. Aims and objectives: The aim of the present study was to study the diaphyseal nutrient foramina in human humeri and its surgical importance’s. for each bone, the number, position, size, and direction of their nutrient foramina were studied. Material and Methods: The present study was conducted on 120 human cleaned and dried humeri and all measurements were done by using standard anthropometric instruments and techniques. All bones were obtained from the Department of anatomy, Nims medical collage Jaipur, Rajasthan and the selected bones were normal with no appearance of pathological changes. The specific age and sex characteristics of the bones studied were unknown. Observation and Results: With few exceptions the majority of nutrient foramina in all bones studied were single in number and were secondary in size. Most of the nutrient foramina were concentrated in the middle third of the bone and located on the anterior surface of the shaft of bones and the direction of nutrient foramina followed the growing end theory. Conclusion: The results of the present study confirmed previous findings regarding the number and position of nutrient foramina and provided clinical information concerning the nutrient foramina which could be useful as reference for surgical procedures.