Morphometry of the Humeral Head, Greater and Lesser Tuberosities: A Radiographic Study

Abstract

Background: Greater and lesser tuberosities are present in the upper end of humerus. With the increased prevalence of proximal humeral fractures, providing a precise estimation for the humeral head, greater and lesser tuberosities dimensions, and testing bilateral and gender differences of the proximal part of the humerus are essential information. Methodology: Three hundred and ten shoulder magnetic resonance imaging scans were used in this study; these scans were obtained from the department of radiology from January 2020 to December 2021. These images include 155 for males and the same number for females, 190 right-sided humeri, in addition to 120 left-sided images. Analyzing the data was done by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, an independent t-test was used, and P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between different genders in terms of the diameter of the humeral head, greater and lesser tuberosities. In addition, a significant difference was found between different sides in terms of the diameter of the lesser tuberosities. Conclusion: As a result of great variation among different populations, providing a precise morphometry of the proximal humerus has become mandatory to restore the best possible morphology for the proximal humeral end. Furthermore, the difference in these measurements between males and females could be helpful in forensic medicine.