A study of nutrient foramina of the dry adult human femur bones

The Femur bone is a highly vascular structure with unique features in its blood supply via numerous foramina located over its different segments, being named as vascular foramina. Among vascular foramina, nutrient foramen is an important one which gives way to the nutrient artery. Knowledge of vascular anatomy is helpful in early identification of vascular interruptions leading to osteonecrosis. The present study was undertaken on 100 dry adult human Femur bones of both sides, irrespective of sex. The bones were obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Shamanur Shivashankarappa Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davangere, Karnataka, India. In the present study, among foramina of 100 dry adult human Femora, 62 Femora had single nutrient foramen, 37 had two nutrient foramina and 1 had three nutrient foramina. The medial lip of linea aspera of Femur depicted the presence of nutrient foramina in majority of bones suggesting the entry zone for nourishment of shaft by perforating arteries. Size of nutrient foramina were ranging from size ? 0.55 mm to size ? 1.27 mm. Direction of nutrient foramina of all the Femora were directed upwards. This study may help orthopaedic surgeons in planning the surgical treatment of fracture of Femur with a possible reduction in post-operative complications. Combined periosteal and medullary blood supply to the bone cortex helps to explain the success of intramedullary reaming of long bone fractures particularly in the weight bearing Femur.

Femur, Nutrient foramina, Ischaemic necrosis, Perforating arteries, Nutrient artery.

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