Determination of Craniofacial Relation in Human Dry Skulls: An Anthropometric Study

Abstract

Introduction: The size, form and position of the skull and its parts are influenced by various factors. The aging process of the bone, also known as bone remodelling, occurs throughout the lifetime of every human being which confers great variability in interpersonal and with the age. Human facial contour has always been an interesting subject for anatomists, anthropologists, plastic surgeons, and artists and also the identification of an individual’s race is an essential component in forensic identification and reconstructive surgery. Facial asymmetry is common in humans. The study is conducted with an aim to collect the anthropometrical data in dry skulls of south Indian origin and compare it with some of the previous studies conducted in same and different race. The mean, standard deviation and range will be calculated for the data.Methodology: The sample for the present study consists of 50 dry skulls irrespective of sex. Various anthropometric measurements were recorded. Based on the obtained results the length-width-height index of the face and cranium was estimated. Results: The mean width and length of the cranium are 13 cm and 17cm respectively. The average cranial index is about 76.8. With reference to the classification of cranium according to cephalic system by Farkas and Sicher H et al, in the present study, 20.4% belong to Brachycephalic and 13.26% belonged to Mesocephalic groups. The study shows that there is a significant positive correlation between width of face and Cranial index. Conclusion: Various studies are being done on anthropometric evaluation of face and cranium in different conditions like dry bone, live individuals and cadavers of different region, population, ethnicity and race. In this study, the anthropometrical data in dry skulls of south Indian origin have been collected and compare it with some of the previous studies conducted in same and different region and population. The mean, standard deviation and range are calculated for the data will be useful for the future studies and clinical application.