Background: The morphometry of the proximal humerus holds substantial clinical relevance due to the frequent occurrence of shoulder joint dislocations and proximal humeral fractures in everyday life. This study aims to investigate the potential differences in various parameters of the proximal humerus between the right and left sides. The specific objectives include: (1) To measure and analyze a range of morphometric parameters of the proximal end of the humerus, and (2) to determine if statistically significant differences exist between these parameters when comparing the left and right humeri.
Methods: Sixty adult dry humeri (31 left and 29 right), confirmed to be skeletally mature via epiphyseal closure, were subjected to osteometric analysis. The following linear and circumferential dimensions were recorded: Mean humeral length (MHL), humeral head vertical diameter (HHVD), humeral head transverse diameter (HHTD), anatomical neck circumference (ANC), surgical neck circumference (SNC), the linear distance between the highest point on the humeral head and the most proximal point of the greater tubercle (HHGT), and the distance from the lateral lip to the medial lip of the bicipital groove width (BGW). An osteometric board, digital vernier callipers, a measuring scale, and colored thread were employed for these measurements. Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using the independent samples t-test within SPSS software, version 24.
Results: The MHL on the left side was measured to be 309 ± 14 mm, while it was 311 ± 16.5 mm on the right side. The mean HHVD was 40.54 ± 3.1 mm on the left and 40.38 ± 3.51 mm on the right. The mean HHTD was 37.84 ± 3.52 mm for the left humerus and 38.2 ± 3.8 mm for the right humerus.The mean ANC was measured as 126.9 ± 7.4 mm on the left humerus and 128.9 ± 11.2 mm on the right humerus. The mean SNC was found to be 83.2 ± 6.7 mm on the left side and 87.4 ± 9.7 mm on the right side.The mean HHGT was 10.64 ± 1.27 mm on the left and 11.06 ± 0.98 mm on the right. Furthermore, the mean BGW, measured from the lateral to the medial lip, was 8.94 ± 1.64 mm on the left and 9.37 ± 1.6 mm on the right.
Conclusion: The morphometric analysis of the proximal humeral epiphysis will constitute the foundational data for the fabrication of prosthetic devices specifically tailored for the Indian demographic. Furthermore, this information may hold significant relevance for professionals in radiology, anthropology, forensic science, and orthopaedic surgery.