Diaphysial nutrient foramina in long bones and miniature long bones.

ABSTRACT

Background: Nutient foramen is an opening into the bone shaft which gives passage to the blood vessels of the medullary cavity of a bone. The knowledge of nutrient foramen is important in surgical procedures like bone grafting and more recently in microsurgical vascularised bone transplantation. Aim: to determine the number, direction, position of nutrient foramen and whether the nutrient foramina obey the general rule that is, directed away from the growing end of the bone. Materials and methods: The present study has been undertaken to review 1000 long bones including clavicle and miniature long bones. Results 6.8% of bones showed no foramen while 10% of bones had double foramen. Conclusion: Majority of the bones followed the growing end theory. Clavicle showed more variation as to the surface on which nutrient foramen was present. None of the earlier workers have done compiled study of all types of long bones in a single study.