An Investigation of the Nutrient Foramen in the Long Bones of the Upper and Lower Limbs in Turkish Population

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to examine the presence, number, anatomic location of the nutrient foramen in the long bones of the upper and lower limbs and calculate the foramen index. Materials and Methods: Our study was conducted on a total of 295 bones, including 25 clavicle, 59 humerus, 49 radius, 32 ulna, 59 femur, 49 tibia, and 22 fibula. The number of the nutrient foramen in each bone, the anatomic location of the nutrient foramen on the bone, and the direction of its opening were determined and recorded. All bones were photographed with a millimeter ruler. The bone length and the distance of the nutrient foramen to the proximal of the bone were measured using the ImageJ program. The foramen index was calculated for each foramen. Results: At least one nutrient foramen was observed in all bones, except for one humerus and three fibula. The highest mean foramen index belonged to the humerus and clavicle, while the lowest mean foramen index belonged to the tibia. The direction of the nutrient foramen is mostly toward the acromial end (87.5%) in the clavicle, toward the distal in the humerus (97.6%), tibia (96.15%) and fibula (75%), and toward the proximal in the radius (96.36%), ulna (100%), and femur (98.97%).Conclusion: There are few studies on the nutrient foramen in which bones of the upper and lower limbs are examined together and comparisons between populations are made. Therefore, we think that our study will enrich the limited literature on this subject and contribute to clinicians.