Background: The clavicle is a modified long bone. It is the most important bone for transmission of weight from upper limb to the axial skeleton and for muscle attachments and is significant source for bone grafting.
Objective: To determine the position, direction, and number of nutrient foramina in human clavicles.
Materials and Methods: The study comprised 50 clavicles of unknown sex, which were obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Smt. BK Shah Medical Institute & Research Centre, Piparia, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. The foramen index was calculated using the Hughes formula.
Results: The nutrient foramen was observed in all 50 (100%) clavicles. Total 82 foramina were observed. In 18.3% clavicles, nutrient foramen was present at medial 1/3rd region, in 72% at the middle 1/3rd, and in 9.8% at the lateral 1/3rd. Single foramen was present in 21(42%) clavicles & double foramina in 26 (52%) clavicles. The nutrient foramen was found on inferior surface in 49.2% clavicles and on posterior surface in 50.8% clavicles. The average distance of the foramen from the sternal end was 69.8 mm (6.98 cm) and the mean foraminal index was 49.01.
Conclusion: The knowledge of nutrient foramina in clavicles is important in surgical procedures such as bone grafting and in microsurgical vascularized bone transplantation.
Key words: Foramen index, clavicle, nutrient foramen
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