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Journals / Sakarya Tıp Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 15 Issue: 3

Morphological and Topographical Anatomy of the Nutrient Foramen on 176 Humeri and Current Literature Review

Elif Bayraktar(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İSTANBUL TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0003-0921-5019
Latif Sağlam(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İSTANBUL TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-6796-7484
Osman Coşkun(ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY, İSTANBUL FACULTY OF MEDICINE)0000-0002-0337-4927
Ahmet Ertaş(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ-CERRAHPAŞA)0000-0002-5518-4834
Özcan Gayretli(İSTANBUL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İSTANBUL TIP FAKÜLTESİ, TEMEL TIP BİLİMLERİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0001-7958-3170
Pages
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Publication Date
2025-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The overall average FI was 57%.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The nutrient foramen of the humerus (NFH) is an important anatomical structure as it transports the nutrient artery that feeds the humerus.
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Key Findings & Data:In total, 176 (85 right, 91 left) dry adult human humeri were examined.
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Conclusion & Impact:The overall average FI was 57%.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Nutrient foramen of humerus · Nutrient artery · Topographic location

Abstract

The nutrient foramen of the humerus (NFH) is an important anatomical structure as it transports the nutrient artery that feeds the humerus. Our goal was to investigate morphological and morphometric features of the NFH. In total, 176 (85 right, 91 left) dry adult human humeri were examined. We investigated the frequency, topographic position, and direction of NFHs. The distances of NFH to certain landmarks were also measured. Lastly, the foraminal index (FI) was determined. Humerus with one NFH and two NFHs were 151 (85.8%) and 22 (12.5%), respectively. NFHs were absent in 3 (1.7%) of humeri. All NFHs were downward. The mean shortest distances of the NFH to the most prominent point of the head of the humerus were found as 17.84+2.64 cm in the humerus with a single NFH and 17.32+2.76 cm in the humerus with a double NFH, respectively. The mean shortest distances of the NFH to the tip of the medial epicondyle were 11.39+1.89 cm in the humerus with a single NFH and 13.01+2.93 cm in the humerus with two NFHs. The overall average FI was 57%. With this study, the distances of NFHs to certain landmarks were documented separately for single NFHs and double NFHs. Moreover, NFHs are most densely located in the middle third. We believe that this data may be helpful to orthopedic surgeons in terms of pre- and intraoperative planning and reaching NFHs more easily.

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Cite This Article

Bayraktar, E., Sağlam, L., Coşkun, O., Ertaş, A., Gayretli, Ö. (2025). Morphological and Topographical Anatomy of the Nutrient Foramen on 176 Humeri and Current Literature Review. Sakarya Tıp Dergisi, Volume: 15 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.31832/smj.1608336

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