Intertubercular sulcus of the humerus as an indicator of handedness and humeral length.

Measurements of the maximum width and depth of the intertubercular sulcus (ITS), angles of the medial and lateral walls with the floor of the ITS, as well as the length of the humerus in 100 right and 100 left matched, unpaired dry humeri of 100 adults were statistically analyzed. Since 90-95% of the general population is right handed, on the basis of altered size of the dimensions of the right ITS relative to the left, it is proposed that greater width and smaller angles of the medial and lateral walls of the ITS of one side are indicative of handedness on that side. Handedness can further be deduced by the presence of a < 50 degrees angle of the medial wall and of a supratubercular ridge of Meyer on that side. The length of the humerus correlated with the width and depth of the ITS (P < 0.001). Regression equations of the length of the humerus on width, depth, as well as width and depth of the ITS have been derived.