ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS IN DIAPHYSEAL NUTRIENT FORAMINA OF HUMERUS IN CADAVERS FROM KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at analyzing diaphyseal nutrient foramina with reference to the variation in number, location, position and direction of nutrient foramina of the dry humerus.METHODOLOGY: This analytical study was conducted on 75 adult humerus bones of cadavers from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, collected from anatomy museum of Khyber medical college Peshawar and Khyber medical university institute of medical sciences (KMU-IMS) Kohat. The damaged bones and bones having pathological anomalies were excluded from the study. In each bone, the diaphyseal nutrient foramen was identified for location, position, number and direction. Measurement was taken through the osteometeric board. The data was statistically analyzed by using SPSS version 17.RESULTS: Out of 75 humerus bones, 68 (90.67%) were having single nutrient foramen and in 74 (98.67%) humerus bones, nutrient foramina were directed distally. Mean distance of the nutrient foramina from the medial epicondyle of the humerus was 9.92±1.93cm in all bones;10.44±1.92cm on the left sided (n=41) bones and 9.36±1.95cm on the right sided (n=34) bones. Overall, 96% (n=72/75) of nutrient foramina were located on the middle 1/3rd of anteromedial surface,2.67% (n=2/75) on the posterior surface and 1.33% (n=1/75) on the antero-lateral surface. While 97.5% (n=33/34) of nutrient foramina on right humeri and 95.13% (n=39/41) of nutrient foramina on left humeri were located on antero-medial side.CONCLUSION: Majority of nutrient foramina of humerus in our set up are single, directed distally and located on the middle 1/3rd of anteromedial surface, reflecting no marked anatomical variation in number,direction and location.