Supracondylar process of the humerus: Study on 375 Caucasian subjects in Cologne, Germany

Abstract

This study documents the prevalence of the supracondylar process of the humerus in the Caucasian subjects in a German dissecting room along with its morphology, height, and site by using an electronic digimatic caliper. Seven hundred and fifty dried humeri from 375 Causcasian cadavers were examined at the Department of Anatomy in the University of Cologne, Germany. The supracondylar process was found in 10 out of the 750 (1.3%) dried humeri from 10 individuals (2.7%). In five of these 10 bones, the supracondylar process was in the form of a tubercle. In the others it was a spine of average height 9.5 mm (range, 7.7-12.3 mm). The average distance of the supracondylar process from the medial epicondyle was 59.8 mm, ranging between 40.5 and 79.0 mm. The supracondylar process was more common on the left humerus (90%) and in male subjects (60%) (both P < 0.01). None of the processes we observed was bilateral. Literature review indicated that the supracondylar process appears in 0.4-2% of Caucasians and in 0.2-2.8% of their humeri.