Original article
An anthropometric study of the bilateral anatomy of the humerus

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2006.09.016Get rights and content

The purpose of this study was to describe the extramedullary humeral morphology in paired humeri to determine whether geometric differences exist from side to side in the same individual. The anatomic characteristics of 28 paired, dry cadaveric humeri were measured by use of an electromagnetic tracking system. Of the characteristics examined, only the humeral head height was significantly different between right and left humeri in the same individual (P < .005). Most of the characteristics had excellent intra-specimen repeatability. In conclusion, there are few significant differences between contralateral humeral anatomic characteristics. Therefore, the uninjured contralateral humerus can provide a reasonable approximation to the native geometry of the fractured humerus and should be a reliable model for measuring parameters related to implant geometry and optimal positioning during hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of proximal humeral fractures.

Section snippets

Specimens

This study used 28 dry humeri from 14 individuals (Department of Anatomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada). These specimens had previously had all soft tissues removed. Specimens with any evidence of previous surgery, trauma, arthritis, or proximal humerus dysplasia were not included. Information about the age, gender, and hand dominance of the donors was not available.

Measurement technique

Pertinent bony landmarks and select regions of the bone were digitized with a stylus probe attached to 1

Results

All anthropometric results are summarized in Table II and Figure 11. Of the 11 humeral characteristics examined, only the humeral head height was significantly different between right and left humeri in the same individual (P < .005).

Most of the humeral characteristics had excellent intra-specimen repeatability, with an SD of less than 1 mm among 5 trials. Humeral head retroversion angle, however, was not as repeatable. The maximum SD between measurements was 4.4°, with a range as large as

Discussion

This study has shown that the anatomy of the humerus is consistent from side to side within an individual. This has been shown for a variety of anatomic measurements of interest in shoulder hemiarthroplasty. A significant difference was found only for the humeral head height. The humeral head height was significantly different between left and right paired specimens, and the mean difference was 1.1 ± 0.7 mm (Table III). Though not found to be significantly different, the humeral head

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