A Study of Vascular Foramina of the Upper End of the Dry Adult Human Femur Bones

Address for Correspondence: Dr. Poornima B, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Ballari, Karnataka, India. E-Mail: [email protected] Background: Femur is the long bone of thigh. Femur is richly vascularized bone deriving its arterial input from umpteen vessels. The upper end of the femur in general showed rich vascularization. Objectives: To observe the location or distribution of vascular foramina, to quantify the number of vascular foramina, to measure the size of the vascular foramina, to observe the direction of the vascular foramina in different segments of upper end of femur bones. Materials and Methods: The present study was undertaken on 100 dry adult normal human femur bones of both sides, irrespective of sex. The bones were obtained from the Department of Anatomy, S.S.I.M.S. & RC Davangere, Karnataka, India. Results: In the present study, maximum average number of vascular foramina was observed in the neck posterior region and minimum average number of vascular foramina was observed in head. Size of vascular foramina varies from > 1.27mm to < 0.71 mm. Maximum average number of vascular foramina were directed horizontally. Interpretation and Conclusion: Knowledge of vascular anatomy is helpful in early identification of vascular interruptions leading to osteonecrosis.