Evaluation of Nutrient Foramen of the Femur, Tibia, and Fibula Bones in Center of Iran

Nutritional arteries are the main source of blood supply to long bones. These foramina enable the blood vessels and nerves to pass through the cortex of the bone. The exact location and distribution of nutrient foramina are important for preventing damage to blood vessels and maintaining blood circulation during various surgical procedures. While inheritance and race are among the most effective factors in the distribution of these foramina, no relevant study has been conducted in Iran. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate this issue in Iran and find differences in comparison with other studies. This study was performed on 157 lower limb bones present in moulage hall in the school of medicine, including long bones of the femur (N=65), tibia (N=65) and fibula (N=27). In this study, 39.09% of the femurs had two nutrient foramina, 90.78% of the tibia had a nutrient foramen, and 66.67% of the fibulas lacked a nutrient foramen. The location of the nutrient foramen in the femur was 95.35% at the lower two-thirds. In the tibia, the nutrient foramina were mainly in the upper third (72.15%). In the fibula, the nutrient foramina were mostly in the middle third (66.67%). This study provides more information on morphological and topographic anatomy of the nutrient foramina of long bones of the lower extremity. While techniques such as microvascular bone transfer have become more popular, further research is required to determine the effect of inheritance and race for an anatomical description of bone nutrition.