Total cross-sectional area of the femoral neck nutrient foramina measured to assess arterial vascular beds in the femoral head

BACKGROUND: A detailed understanding of the blood supply to the femoral head is required to plan the surgery in the femoral neck and head area. However, information about the blood vessel networks in the femoral head is inadequate. METHODS: The surface of the femoral neck of 100 dry cadaveric adult femur specimens was scanned using a 3D scanner. The scanning distance was 200 mm, precision 0.01 mm, and measuring point 0.04 mm. The images were acquired at a resolution of 1,310,000 pixels. Digital imaging data were recorded from the femoral neck surface. The diameters of the nutrient foramina of the superior, inferior and anterior retinacular arteries, and the ligamentum teres arteries were determined and divided into five groups. RESULTS: The mean cumulative cross-sectional area of the nutrient foramina was as follows: canals of the superior, inferior, anterior, and ligamentum retinacular arteries were 15.59 mm(2), 3.63 mm(2), 4.32 mm(2), and 1.58 mm(2), respectively. Next, we analyzed the canals of the superior, inferior, anterior and ligamentum retinacular arteries, respectively, via 3D scanner. We found that the canals of the superior retinacular arteries appear to supply more blood to the femoral head than the canals of the other three types of arteries. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that surgeries of the femoral neck and femoral head will be improved with prior 3D scanning and lead to better outcomes in surgeries involving the hip area.