Anatomical study of nutrient foramina on the diaphysis of the human fibula

Objectives: The main objective of the study is to give a detailed overview of the nutrient foramina and nutrient channels by macroscopic examination of fibula dyaphisis and to determine its utmost important variations for clinical practice. Methods and Materials: This was a cross-sectional-descriptive study in which we observed 50 fibula. We considered only nutritional foramina located at diaphysis of the bone. During the research we determined the following parameters: total number of nutrient foramina on dyaphisis of each bone, value of Foramina Index (FI), the length of the bones, the position of the nutritional foramina regarding to values of FI, and position of nutritionl foramina on the sides of the diaphysis of bone and the obliquity of nutrient canal. The obtained data were statistically analysed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Nutritional foramina were recorded at 84.0% fibula. In 57.1% fibula nutritional foramina were placed on the facies posterior, in 40.5% on the facies medialis and on 2.4% bones nutritional foramina were on the facies lateralis. All fibula had nutritional foramina located on the middle third of the diaphysis of bone. Distally directed nutritional canals were observed on 90.5% fibula and proximally directed nutritional canalas were observed on 9.5% fibula. There was a negative correlation between the length of the fibula of the right and left limb and the number of nutritional foramina. Conclusion: Knowledge of the topography of nutritional foramina helps preserve bone vascularization during surgery. Keywords: nutritional artery, nutritional canals, fibula, topography