Abstract :
Introduction: Congenital defects during the development of sternum give rise to sternal foramen. These defects
are due to incomplete fusion of sternebrae. Serious life-threatening complications can occur during sternal
puncture for bone marrow biopsy. Therefore, knowledge of the presence of sternal foramen is important to
prevent these life-threatening complications. Our aim was to observe the incidence, location, number and shape
of the sternal foramen in dry sterna.
Material & Methods: The present study was conducted in Department of Anatomy, Subharti Medical College,
Meerut in 100 dry sterna. Various types of sternal variations were observed and documented.
Results: In our study, 10% of the sterna had a sternal foramen. Single sternal foramen was present in 8
specimens (8%). Double foramina were present in 2 bones (2%).
Conclusion: Sternal foramen are not uncommon. Knowledge of these variations are important for radiologists
and surgeons during bone marrow biopsy.
Keyword :
Sternum, foramen, site, shape.