Microstructure of the radial head: Insights into anatomical variations and implications for advanced interventions

• Published in: Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2024-07
• Main Authors: Cole, Scott, Rainwater, Randall R, Mannen, Erin, Tait, Mark A, Bracey, John W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0897-3806; 1098-2353; 1098-2353
• DOI: 10.1002/ca.24191

Appropriate management of radial head fractures is integral to prevent long-term consequences like chronic pain and loss of motion. Advanced imaging systems, like micro-computed tomography (μCT), are valuable for understanding radial head fracture patterns as they utilize micrometer scale resolution to define important parameters of bone health like cortical density and trabecular thickness. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the structural morphology of the radial head utilizing μCT. Nine fresh-frozen cadaveric human radii were divided into four equal quadrants, based, and labeled as posteromedial, posterolateral, anteromedial, and anterolateral. Quadrants were scanned with a SCANCO MicroCT40 with both cortical and cancellous bone density measurements at a resolution of 36.0 μm. Bone density, direct trabecular number, and trabecular thickness were recorded as milligrams of hydroxyapatite/cm . A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to compare the bone densities, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness of each of the four quadrants (p