A bony supracondyloid foramen in man. With remarks about supracondyloid and other processes from the lower end of the humerus

Thomas Dwight
1904 American Journal of Anatomy  
WITH 1 PLATE. This foramen ( Fig. 1 ) which, so far as I know, is unique in literature, occurs in the left humerus from the body of a white woman aged 57. There is neither supracondyloid foramen nor process on the right one. Otherwise the humeri are very symmetrical, and present no signs of pathological ossifications. The length of each is 28.5 cm. The angle of torsion of the right humerus is 157 degrees, and on the left 160 degrees. The process inclosing the foramen springs from the inner
more » ... ce about midway between the internal and anterior borders 62 mm. above the lowest part of the trochlea. It arises by an extremely thin triangular expansion, about 1 cm. broad from above downwards, and is continued as a slightly convex arch 32 mm. long, measured on the convexity, to end in another triangular expansion some 4 mm. broad on the anterior surface of the internal condyle, 2 cm. above its lower border. The process is an extremely delicate structure, especially in the upper two thirds, where its thickness is that of paper. The lower end is from 1 to 2 mm. thick. The process is twisted in its course, the expansion at its origin facing outward and forward, and that at its end forward and inward. The thinner part above passes into the thicker part below without any change of character. The brachial artery passed over the origin of the process. The brachial artery and its branches were very small; the anterior circumflex was very minute, possibly represented by two twigs, the posterior circumflex was represented by a branch from the superior profunda. At about the usual place of division the brachial gave off a radial artery of about half the diameter of the ulnar, which latter w e d to be the direct continuation. The The foramen, therefore, is bounded wholly by bone. The median nerve ran through the foramen.
doi:10.1002/aja.1000030302 fatcat:vj5gg7henzf3pdoy5gwrp4mrvq