Variations of Gerdy’s tubercle, proposal of a morphological classification: Anatomical study and its clinical importance

Abstract

Introduction: Gerdy’s tubercle is described as a triangular facet in standard textbooks of human anatomy. The present study addresses the prevalence and shape of the anterolateral tubercle, which has been named as Gerdy’s tubercle in adult human tibia. Examination of tibia revealed in excess of usual variations in the shape and texture of tubercle present at the anterior surface of lateral condyle of tibia. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 103 (52 right and 51 left) of either sex dry Indian tibia bone to study the shape and texture of Gerdy’s tubercle. The shape and texture of tubercle were very inconsistent and varied from a small circular smooth facet to very irregular rough facet. Results: Gerdy’s tubercle was triangular & smooth in 44.6%, circular & smooth in 17.4%, vertically oval & smooth in 2.9%, transversely oval & smooth in 3.8%, irregular & rough in18.4% and triangular & rough in 6.7%. In 5.8% of tibia, it was unobtrusive. Conclusion: The different shapes of Gerdy’s tubercle demonstrated in the present study may contribute to produce significant effect on surgical interventions and some shapes may be more prone to traumatic injuries on it.