Anatomical study of the nutrient foramen of lower limb long bones in South Indian population

The nutrient artery which enters the nutrient canal obliquely would provide the vascular supply. The nutrient foramen can be seen as a well-marked groove, which shows raised edges at the starting of the canal. The knowledge about the nutrient foramen is enlightening to the orthopedician during the procedures like bone grafting and internal fixation.

To determine the topography, direction and number of the nutrient foramina in lower limb long bones and to check if the nutrient foramen follow the general rule, the foramen is directed away from the growing end of the bone. To determine the foramen index of lower limb long bones from South Indian population.

We studied the topography, direction and location of nutrient foramina in shafts of 260 lower limb adult dried long bones, which were collected from the osteology collection of the department of Anatomy, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Pondicherry and Sri Sathya Sai Medical College, Kancheepuram.

It was observed that the most of the bones exhibited solitary nutrient foramen. The topography of nutrient foramen was mainly observed over the posterior surface. The mean foramen index of femur was 46.49, tibia was 34.82 and fibula was 49.58.

The present investigation provided the details about the data about morphology of nutrient foramen in lower limb long bones of South Indian population. It was observed that the double nutrient foramen were commonly seen in femur and were rare in the tibia and fibula bones. The morphological information about the nutrient foramen may assist in some operative procedures and bone grafting.