A TOPOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF NUTRIENT FORAMEN IN DRY HUMAN LONG BONES OF THE SUPERIOR EXTREMITY.

Nutrient artery is the principal source of nutrition to the long bones and a sound knowledge of its topography will help surgeons and oncologists in certain operative procedures to preserve the circulation. The aim of our study was to determine the direction and position of nutrient foramina with help of foramen index. The study was conducted in total 114 long bones of arm and forearm and the material collected for our study was from the department of Anatomy, ELMC&H, Lucknow and Department of Anatomy, King George's Medical University, Lucknow. Deformed and Damaged bones or bones with callus formation were excluded from the study. Direction of nutrient foramen was observed in all humerus (38 bones) downward. In case of radius (38 bones) and ulna (38 bones) the direction was found towards the upper end. In our study 92.10% humerus bones show the location of nutrient foramen in anteromedial surface. The anatomical data collected from this study elucidates the importance of nutrient arteries in microvascular bone transfer since it has become a very popular procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]