Where is the true location of the femoral piriform fossa?
OBJECTIVE
To analyze knowledge of the anatomic location of the piriform fossa using a questionnaire with anatomic figures.


METHODS
Participants taking AO Trauma Brasil courses were requested to complete a questionnaire containing a photograph of the superior surface and a photograph of the lateral surface of the femur and answer a question asking which of four numbered points corresponded to the piriform fossa.


RESULTS
Just 4.5% of respondents correctly chose point 2 (the piriform fossa) in both images, while 75.4% of respondents chose point 4 (the trochanteric fossa) as the correct anatomic structure. The subset of 4th-year residents' answers was significantly different from those of the other subsets, with 7.5% of correct answers.


CONCLUSIONS
The low rate of correct answers indicates a tendency for the respondents to be influenced by illustrations in text books or examples in scientific publications that indicate the site of the piriform fossa incorrectly. Interest in the specialty of traumatology is possibly the reason why the subset of 4th-year residents had a better- than-average rate of correct answers.
Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis (FMP), Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: plabronici@globo.com.
Pedro José
PJ
Labronici
Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Hospital Santa Teresa, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil.
Fernando Claudino
FC
Dos Santos Filho
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Robinson Esteves Santos
RES
Pires
Trauma and Walk-in Clinic Team, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
André
A
Wajnsztejn
Trauma Team, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma, Irmandade de Misericórdia da Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
José Octavio Soares
JOS
Hungria
UFF, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Vinicius Schott
VS
Gameiro
Department of Trauma, Member of Pelvic and Hip Surgery Team, Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia (IOT), Hospital do Trauma, Hospital Escola São Vicente Paula, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
Luiz Henrique Penteado
LHP
da Silva
D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education*; D001938:Brazil; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000193:education*; D012015:Reference Standards
Piriform fossa; Point of entry; Proximal femur; Trochanteric fossa