ABSTRACT
Background: Nutrient foramen is an opening into shaft of Ulna which gives passage to the blood vessels ofmedullary cavity. The knowledge of nutrient foramen is important in surgical procedures like bone grafting andmore recently in microsurgical vascularized bone transplantation.Objective: To determine the number, location and direction of nutrient foramen and whether the nutrient foramensobey the rule of ossification, that is directed away from the growing end of the bone or not.Method: The present study consisted of 150 (75 right and 75 left) dried ulna bones excluding any fracture orpathological abnormalities Number and direction of nutrient foramen was observed in each ulna. Location ofnutrient foramen in relation with surfaces and zones of ulna was determined.Result: It has been observed that 96.67% of the ulna had a single nutrient foramen, 1.33% double foramen and 2%had no nutrient foramen. It was concluded that 90% of the nutrient foramina were present on the anteriorsurface, 5.33% on anterior border and 4.67% on interosseous border It was also concluded that most (62.67%)of the foramina present in the zone II followed by zone I (23.33%) then by zone III (14%). All foramina weredirected toward the upper end of ulna.Conclusion: By knowing the number and location of the nutrient foramina in ulna would be useful in preventingintra-operative injury of nutrient artery during orthopedic, plastic and reconstructive surgery and will also berelevant in medico legal practice.