How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: The study aims to determine the dimensions of the IOF and MF, their distances from clinically significant anatomical landmarks, and their potential variations in a local population.
Methods: The study was conducted in the Anatomy Department of Nishtar Medical University, Multan, from June 2024 to November 2024. A descriptive study was performed on 132 dry adult human skulls. The transverse and vertical diameters of the IOF and MF, along with their respective distances to the anterior nasal spine (for IOF) and symphysis menti (for MF), were measured using digital Vernier callipers. Measurements were taken twice by the authors to minimise errors. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0, with results expressed as mean ± standard deviation.
Results: All skulls exhibited a single IOF and MF bilaterally. The mean transverse diameter of the IOF was 2.858 ± 0.633 mm (right) and 3.112 ± 0.823 mm (left), while its vertical diameter was 4.199 ± 0.732 mm (right) and 4.229 ± 0.887 mm (left). The mean IOF-to-anterior nasal spine distances were 32.22 ± 3.73 mm (right) and 31.48 ± 3.53 mm (left). For the MF, the mean transverse diameter was 2.81 ± 0.65 mm (right) and 2.92 ± 0.71 mm (left), while the vertical diameter was 2.96 ± 0.69 mm (right) and 3.01 ± 0.72 mm (left). The distance of MF from the symphysis menti was 25.43 ± 2.34 mm (right) and 25.16 ± 2.29 mm (left). These findings provide valuable anatomical data for clinicians performing surgical and anaesthetic interventions in the midface and lower face regions.
Conclusion: The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of evidence on IOF and MF morphology, emphasizing population-specific variations. This localised data is essential for clinicians performing surgical and anaesthetic procedures in the midface and lower face, ensuring safer and more effective interventions.
Keywords: Infraorbital foramen, mental foramen, local population, regional anaesthesia
References
Del Foramen Supraorbitario EM. Morphometric studies of supraorbital foramen, infraorbital foramen and mental foramen in a thai population related with nerve blocks. Int. j. morphol. 2022;40(1):181-7. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022022000100181.
Hong JH, Kim HJ, Hong JH, Park KB. Study of infraorbital foramen using 3-dimensional facial bone computed tomography scans. Pain Physician. 2022;25(1):E127. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8918343
Hasan, T., Fauzi, M., & Hassan, A. Morphometric Analysis of Infraorbital Foramen in South Asian Population: A CBCT Study. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. 2022;33(5): e499-e503. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7917343.
Alsharif, M. J., Alam, M. K., & Basri, R. Morphological Variations of Infraorbital Foramen in a Saudi Population: A CBCT Study. Journal of Hard Tissue Biology. 2023;32(1):15-20. https://doi.org/10.2485/jhtb.2023.32.15.
Rahman, M. M., Alam, M. M., & Hossain, M. S. Morphometric Study of Infraorbital Foramen in Bangladeshi Dry Skulls. Bangladesh Journal of Anatomy. 2022;20(1):25-30. https://doi.org/10.3329/bja.v20i1.2022.25.
Tuncel Cini N, Turan Ozdemır s. Estimation of the infraorbital foramen location using morphometric analysis. Ktd. 2022;23(3):257-63. https://doi.org/10.5606/ktd.2022.23.3.257.
Siddikhakhatoon KA, Chelli SB. Morphometric Analysis of the Mental Foramen in Adult Dry Human Mandibles. European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Oct 1;12(4). https://doi.org/10.3109/ejcm.2022.12.4.112.
Ng A, Rahman S, Bello M. Anatomical variations of accessory foramina in maxillofacial surgery: A comparative study of Asian and African populations. J Anat Res. 2020;87(3):45-51. https://doi.org/10.4172/jar.2020.87.3.45.
Ali SM, Siddique K, Raza T. Infraorbital foramen location in a Pakistani population: Implications for nerve block. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(1):89-94. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.39.1.89.
Oliveira MC, Lima AF, Barbosa SR. Morphometric variations of infraorbital and mental foramina in Brazilian populations. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2021;50(2):239-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2021.02.239.
Krishnamurthy A, Sharma K, Pillai R. Role of diet and mastication in craniofacial adaptations: A review. J Evol Biol. 2019;26(8):456-63. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.2019.26.8.456.
Ukoha U, Igwe CU, Okafor JI. Morphological characteristics of the mental foramen in Nigerian skulls. Niger J Clin Pract. 2021;24(6):847-52. https://doi.org/10.4103/njcp.2021.24.6.847.
Khan AH, Zafar S, Ahmed N. Morphometric study of the mental foramen in South Asian populations: Clinical relevance for dental procedures. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022;80(1):12-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2022.01.012.
Gupta A, Roychoudhury A, Sengupta A. Influence of mental foramen morphology on dental implant placement: A retrospective study. Implant Dent. 2020;29(6):495-500. https://doi.org/10.1097/id.2020.29.6.495.
Fernandes M, Silva P, Almeida J. Prevalence of accessory foramina in mixed-race populations and their clinical relevance. J Craniofac Surg. 2022;33(4):1031-7. https://doi.org/10.1097/jcs.2022.33.4.1031.
Singh P, Choudhary R, Sharma V. CBCT and MRI applications in craniofacial morphometry: Current trends and future directions. Radiol Clin North Am. 2021;59(2):317-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rclna.2021.02.317.
Ahmed SA, Khan Y, Zia M. Gender and age-related differences in infraorbital and mental foramina morphometry: A cross-sectional study. Clin Anat. 2022;35(1):67-73. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.2022.35.1.67.
Marcus JR, Ayyash K, Romero S. Craniofacial growth patterns and the implications for midface surgeries. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2018;76(8):1695-702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joms.2018.08.1695.
Smith B, Taylor A, Jones R. Evolutionary adaptations and geographic variations in craniofacial morphology. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2020;172(3):431-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.2020.172.3.431
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ammara Rasheed, Ponum Mirani, Mohtasham Hina, Nida Rasheed, Maria Tasleem