Morphometric Study of Nutrient Foramina in Dry Human Clavicles in Central India

Abstract

BACKGROUND The clavicle or collar bone is a modified long bone. It is the first bone to ossify in the membrane. The inferior surface of shaft of clavicle presents a subclavian groove. A nutrient foramen lies at the lateral end of the groove. The nutrient artery is derived from the supraclavicular or clavicular branch of thoracoacromial artery. A bone is supplied by a nutrient artery which passes through the small tunnel called as nutrient foramina. In orthopaedic procedures to preserve the circulation, the topographical knowledge of the nutrient foramen is important. The study was undertaken to analyse nutrient foramina in adult human clavicles in relation to their number, position, direction, and distribution over bone length. METHODS Our study consisted of 67 adult dry human clavicles (31 right sides and 36 left sides). The number, topography and direction of the foramina were studied. The distance of foramina from the sternal end & total length of the clavicles were measured in millimetres by using digital Vernier calipers. The foramen index was calculated by applying the Hughes formula: FI = (DNF TL) x 100. RESULTS Nutrient foramina were present in all the clavicles. Most of the clavicles have single nutrient foramen. We observed 62 (68.13 %) foramina on the posterior surface mostly in the middle 1 / 3rd region. All the nutrient foramina were directed towards acromial end and the foramina index (FI) was 50.2. CONCLUSIONS The topographical knowledge of the nutrient foramen is important in orthopaedic procedures like nail plating, K wire fixation, reduction, internal fixation devices for the treatment of fracture, coracoclavicular ligament repair and in free vascularized bone graft to preserve the circulation. KEY WORDS Clavicle, Nutrient Foramina, Nutrient Artery, Foramina Index (FI)