MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF SUPRATROCHLEAR FORAMEN OF HUMERUS

Background Supratrochlear foramen (STF) is an important variation in the lower end of humerus. The knowledge of the presence of supratrochlear foramen in the humerus is important for preoperative planning and management of supracondylar fractures and the interpretation of the abnormalities in the radiographs. Material and Methods The presence of Supratrochlear foramen was studied in hundred randomised humeri of unknown sex and age from the Institute of Anatomy, Madras Medical College, Chennai, TamilNadu. The topographical anatomy of the STF was studied in detail. Results Out of the 100 humeri studied , Supratrochlear foramen was found in 28 humeri (28 percent). The STF was absent in 72 (72 percent) specimens. The shape of Supratrochlear foramen was oval in 23 humeri, round in 3 humeri and triangular in 2 humeri. The STF was predominantly oval (23 percent ) in shape. Most of the bones with absence of STF showed a translucency of Supratrochlear septum .In the absence of Supratrochlear foramen, 24 specimens (24 percent) showed opaque septum and 48 specimens (48 percent) showed translucent septum. Conclusion The anatomical knowledge of STF is beneficial for anthropologists, orthopedic surgeons and radiologists.