Understanding the location of the supraoribtal and infraorbital foramina and their variations will assist the clinician in performing local anesthetic blocks and is very important for surgeons doing head and braw lift surgeries, eye surgeries. It is also important regarding the medicolegal aspects. Although there are many reports which have described the anatomical location of supraorbital foramen, detailed studies are mandatory. So, this study aimed to give detailed information about the exact position of supraorbital foramen.
In this study, 80 skulls were examined, 10 skulls were photographed (anterior & 2 lateral views for each one). Both sides of the skulls were studied regarding the morphology of SOF as well as determining its position in relation to the different anatomical landmarks. The symmetry of the foramina was also noted. Measurements made included the distance from SOF/N to facial midline. The Pearson correlation test was used for data obtained from the skull. Student t-test and ANOVA used to statistically analyze the relationship between variants.
The supraorbital exit was found as a notch more frequently (70%) than a foramen (28.75%). While (1.25%) of skulls showed neither a notch nor a foramen. The SON/F was single in most of skulls (83%), whereas (15.6%) of skulls showed a single accessory foramen. The average horizontal width of the SON/F was 0.46 cm while the average vertical length of supraorbital foramen was 0.18 cm. The distance from the center of the SON/F to the facial midline was 2.59 cm. It was significantly lower in females than males only the left side.
Passing of the vital structures through the supraorbital notch / foramen necessitates taking into consideration the measurements recorded in this study that may help the surgeon to locate these openings and avoid injuries to the neurovascular bundles. Our data along with several previous reports indicate that the parameters used to locate the supraoribtal foramen should be applied in different races with caution. The differences in several measurements suggest that gender and side should be considered when applying the anatomical variation data to an individual subject.
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