A study of nutrient foramina of the metacarpal bones.

ABSTRACT

1500 metacarpals, 300 each of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th metacarpals of unknown age and sex and 200 metacarpals from 20 articulated skeletons for bilateral study where examined for the length of the bone, number, position, direction and distances from both the ends of nutrient foramina. It was observed that almost all the metacarpals has one nutrient foramen in the middle third of their shaft except in 1st metacarpal in which it was in distal third. It was observed that frequency of number of nutrient foramina differ in different metacarpals. In 1st and 2nd metacarpals foramina were situated mostly on the medial surface and in other metacarpals mostly on the lateral surface. There was a good deal of bilateral symmetry and invariably all foramina were directed away from the growing ends of the bone.