Abstract

Background: Bone formation, growth and its vitality necessitates blood supply. Nutrient artery is the key source of blood supply to the long bone apart from the other important sources like periosteal, metaphyseal and epiphyseal arteries. Nutrient foramina allows nutrient artery. Typically, the direction of the nutrient foramina is towards the elbow joint in radius, away from its growing end. Knowledge of foramen index, number, direction and size of the nutrient foramina assists the surgeon to take an exact section of bone in case of bone resection and transplantation techniques. Aim: The aim of the present study is to determine the number, position, size, direction of the nutrient foramina and the Foramen Index of the human dry radius bones Materials and Methods: In the present study, 91 right sided and 88 left sided radius bones of unknown age and sex were taken into consideration from the department of anatomy, Mamata Medical College, Khammam, Telanagana. Results: Average length of the radius on the right side was observed to be 23.72 ± 1.93 cm and on left side 23.35 ± 1.75 cm. The foramen index on right side was 34.92 ± 4.97 cm where as on the left side 34.79 ± 4.43 cm. The nutrient foramen was directed towards the proximal end of radius in all the bones studied. Most of the foramen were observed on the anterior surface of the bone. Nutrient foramina was found to be absent in 4 right sided and 3 left sided bones. Conclusion: This study may add to the present statistical data available on foramen index, number of foramen and their location in the population of Telangana region, during recent orthopaedic techniques like bone resection and transplantation.

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