A STUDY OF NUTRIENT FORAMINA IN LONG BONES OF NIGERIANS

Nutrient foramen is a natural opening into the shaft of a bone, allowing for passage of blood vessels into the medullary cavity. This study aims to determine the number, location and direction of nutrient foramina of long bones of the upper limb in the Nigerian population. A total number of 250 long bones (150 humeri, 50 radii and 50 ulnae) were used for the study. 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. Information and details about these foramina is of clinical importance, especially in surgical procedures like bone grafting and microsurgical vascularized bone transplantation.