The Morphology and Morphometric Analysis of the Radius Bone: A Study on Freshly Frozen Cadavers in the Indian Population

Introduction The radial bone and the radioulnar joint are vital for the physiological and physical stability of the elbow. The prostheses and plates used in cases of radius fracture are designed based on the morphology of the Western population. This could result in a bone-implant mismatch when applied to the Indian population, resulting in complications. Hence, the study aimed to record the normal values of radius morphology in the Indian population. Methods A total of 30 (eight male and seven female) freshly frozen cadaveric bilateral upper limbs were chosen. Cadavers with previous surgical scars, deformities, and congenital defects of the upper limb were excluded. The radius was excised, and morphometric parameters were measured with a non-elastic measuring tape and a digital caliper and recorded using GeoGebra software. Results All measuring parameters exhibited no significant difference between the right and left side of the bone (p > 0.05), whereas the difference between males and females for most parameters was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean difference between the anteroposterior (AP) diameter and transverse diameter of the radial head for the study sample was 0.89 +/- 0.06 mm. Thus, the AP diameter was 4% greater than the transverse diameter. The head of the radius was observed to be almost round. The degree of extent of the safe zone was 124.64 degrees, with an average safe arc length of 3.27 +/- 0.55 cm. Conclusion The morphometric measurements of the radius in the Indian population are different from the Western population.