[Morphometric anatomic study and clinical significance of lunate fossa].
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate the depth, transverse and sagittal diameters of lunate fossa which is a significant structure of the wrist in terms of reducing the risk for volar plate screws, which are administered in distal radius fractures, from penetrating into the joint.


METHODS
Depth, transverse and sagittal diameters of lunate fossa in 50 right and 50 left adult dried radius bones without distal tip damage were measured by using MicroscribeG2X from the MicroScribe G series.


RESULTS
Mean lunate fossa depth: left 2.419886±0.51 mm/right 2.543052±0.78 mm, mean lunate fossa sagittal diameter: left 19.656±1.57 mm/right 18.796±1.53 mm, mean lunate fossa transverse diameter: left 11.382±0.65 mm/right 11.106±0.91 mm. There was no statistically significant difference between right and left depth values of lunate fossa (p=0.320), whereas there was statistically significant difference between right and left transverse and sagittal diameters (p=0.006, p=0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
Measurements involving depth of lunate fossa may guide the development of new anatomic plates and decrease complications like the penetration of screw into joint whilst volar plate administrations.
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, 07030 Muratpaşa, Antalya, Turkey. cengizaldemir@yahoo.com.
Cengiz
C
Aldemir
Merve
M
Önder
Ali
A
Doğan
Fatih
F
Duygun
Nurettin
N
Oğuz
D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D012667:Lunate Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000601:surgery