The location of the infraorbital foramen in human skulls, to be used as new anthropometric landmarks as a useful method for maxillofacial surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the localisation of the infraorbital foramen in relation to chosen anthropometric landmarks as novel reference points: nasion, rhinion, and frontomalare orbitale, and to verify their symmetry.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-four sides of thirty-two human skulls were investigated. The distances between the infraorbital foramina and nasion, rhinion, and frontomalare orbitale, and the distances between two contralateral infraorbital foramens were measured. The symmetry was analysed and statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS: The mean distance and standard deviation (mean ± SD) between the right infraorbital foramen and the nasion, rhinion, and right frontomalare orbitale were 45.23 ± 3.20 mm, 39.84 ± 1.72 mm, and 36.28 ± 1.50 mm, respectively, and between the left infraorbital foramen and the nasion, rhinion, and left frontomalare orbitale were 44.38 ± 2.76 mm, 38.88 ± 2.01 mm, and 36.31 ± 2.19 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The results presented in this study may be particularly helpful for surgery in patients with oedema of the infraorbital region when the other landmarks are difficult to localise.