MORPHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF THE SUPRAORBITAL FORAMEN IN RELATION TO FACIAL LANDMARKS IN ADULT NIGERIAN SKULLS

ABSTRACT

Supraorbital foramen is a critical craniofacial landmark that transmit neurovascular structures that supply parts of the face, making it a feature of great interest in craniofacial surgeries, forensic identification. The aim of this study was to provide detailed morphometric analysis of the supraorbital foramen with reference to selected facial landmarks using dry adult Nigerian skulls. Cross-sectional descriptive research design was used to evaluated 100 adult Nigerian skulls to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and morphometric relationships of supraorbital opening. A digital Vernier caliper was used for taking measurements from the supraorbital foramen to the various landmarks. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the data, paired sample t-test was used to compare between right and left and independent t-test was used to compare between males and females, p<0.005 was considered statistically significant. The supraorbital opening was more as a notch (37%), followed by a foramen (35%) and absent in 28%. Accessory supraorbital foramina were uncommon (11% of cases), and consistently located lateral to the primary exit. Supraorbital exit was positioned, on average, 29 mm from the facial midline and 25–27 mm from the temporal crest of the frontal bone. Males generally demonstrated larger distances than females, and subtle right–left asymmetries were noted for specific landmarks. Bilateral occurrences of supraorbital foramen varied by sex. Conclusively, these findings highlight individual, side-specific, and sex-specific anatomical variations that are important considerations for clinical and forensic practice. This knowledge is particularly relevant for surgical planning, regional nerve blocks, and other orbital or midface procedures.

Key words: Supraorbital Foramen, Facial Landmarks, Morphometry, Nigeria