Kaan ÇİMEN
Sağlık Hizmetleri Araştırma Dergisi - 2026;4(1):106-111
Knowledge of the morphology and location of the tibial nutrient foramen is important for procedures involving the tibial shaft. This descriptive, cross-sectional osteological study evaluated 105 adult dry tibiae (52 right and 53 left) from the bone collection of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Sivas Cumhuriyet University. The number, direction, surface location, longitudinal position, foramen index, and external diameter of the nutrient foramina were assessed. Five structurally damaged tibiae in which the nutrient foramen could not be measured reliably were excluded. All tibiae had a single nutrient foramen, and all nutrient canals were directed distally. Mean tibial length was 35.44 +/- 2.46 cm, mean distance from the proximal end to the foramen was 10.75 +/- 1.21 cm, and mean foramen index was 30.31 +/- 2.52%. Median foramen diameter was 1.65 mm. The foramina were located predominantly on the posterolateral and posterior surfaces (47.6% each), and 86.7% were situated in the proximal third. No statistically significant side-related differences were observed. Tibial length correlated with the absolute proximal foramen distance but not with the foramen index or diameter. The tibial nutrient foramen therefore demonstrated a consistent proximal posterior or posterolateral distribution that should be considered during surgical exposure and fixation of the tibial shaft.
