Abstract
BackgroundA detailed understanding of the blood supply to the femoral head is required to plan the surgery in the femoral neck and head area. However, information about the blood vessel networks in the femoral head is inadequate.MethodsThe surface of the femoral neck of 100 dry cadaveric adult femur specimens was scanned using a 3D scanner. The scanning distance was 200 mm, precision 0.01 mm, and measuring point 0.04 mm. The images were acquired at a resolution of 1,310,000 pixels. Digital imaging data were recorded from the femoral neck surface. The diameters of the nutrient foramina of the superior, inferior and anterior retinacular arteries, and the ligamentum teres arteries were determined and divided into five groups.ResultsThe mean cumulative cross-sectional area of the nutrient foramina was as follows: canals of the superior, inferior, anterior, and ligamentum retinacular arteries were 15.59 mm2, 3.63 mm2, 4.32 mm2, and 1.58 mm2, respectively. Next, we analyzed the canals of the superior, inferior, anterior and ligamentum retinacular arteries, respectively, via 3D scanner. We found that the canals of the superior retinacular arteries appear to supply more blood to the femoral head than the canals of the other three types of arteries.ConclusionsOur results demonstrated that surgeries of the femoral neck and femoral head will be improved with prior 3D scanning and lead to better outcomes in surgeries involving the hip area.
Highlights
The femoral head obtains most of its blood supply from the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) and the lateral femoral circumflex artery (LFCA) [1–4]
The results showed that the number of nutrient foramina for the canals of the superior retinacular arteries was significantly positively correlated with the length of the femur (r = 0.219), the area of the nutrient foramina for the canals of the superior retinacular arteries was significantly positively correlated with the length of the femur and the length of the femoral neck (r = 0.280 and 0.243), and the area of the nutrient foramina for the canals of the inferior retinacular arteries was significantly positively correlated with the length of the femoral neck (r = 0.207) (Table 2)
In this study, we investigated the vascular blood supply to the femoral neck and femoral head by using a 3D scanner to precisely measure the cross-sectional area of the nutrient foramina in the femoral neck of dry adult femur specimens
Summary
The femoral head obtains most of its blood supply from the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) and the lateral femoral circumflex artery (LFCA) [1–4]. A 1953 study reported that the LFCA provides two-thirds to four-fifths of the blood supply to the femoral neck [4]. Contrast media has been used to observe the arteries in the area of interest and to measure the retinacular vessels. These arteries branch from the deep femoral artery [5]. The MFCA and LFCA branch to form the retinacular vessels, which enter the capsule and travel through the retinacula of Weitbrecht, which consists of fibrous extensions from the capsule, and . Information about the blood vessel networks in the femoral head is inadequate
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