Anatomical study of nutrient foramina in long bones of human upper limbs

Background: An opening into the bone shaft for passage of blood vessels to the medullary cavity of a bone for its nourishment and growth is called as nutrient foramen. There is always a need for a greater understanding of nutrient foramina in upper limb bones such as the humerus, radius and ulna. So the aim of present study was to record the location, number and direction of nutrient foramina in long bones of the upper limb. Material and methods: A total number of 120 long bones (40 humeri, 40 radii and 40 ulnae) were used for the study. Results: In the results, 66% of the humeri had a single foramen, 18% had double foramina and 26% had no foramen. For the radii, 68% had a single nutrient foramen and 32% had no nutrient foramen. 78% of the ulnae had a single nutrient foramen and 22% had no nutrient foramen. All the foramina except one (in the radius) were directed away from the growing end, that is, they were directed towards the elbow. Conclusion: Information and details about nutrient foramina is of clinical importance, especially in surgical procedures like bone grafting and bone transplantation.