Morphometry of the nasal bones and piriform apertures in Koreans

In order to understand the morphological characteristics of Korean noses, the nasal bones and piriform apertures were measured and classified in the dried skulls of Korean adults. The shapes of the nasal bones were classified into five types (Type A-E). Among the types of the nasal bone, Type A, in which the nasomaxillary sutures initially descended vertically and then obliquely, was present in 43.2% and Type B, in which the nasomaxillary sutures were concave in the middle part, was present in 52.3% of the noses examined. The height of the nasal bone was 25.9 +/- 3.8 mm in males, 24.5 +/- 3.7 mm in females; the width was 9.2 +/- 2.4 mm in males, 8.8 +/- 2.6 mm in females. The height of the piriform aperture was 30.1 +/- 2.6 mm in males, 28.0 +/- 2.8 mm in females; the upper width was 16.8+2.6 mm in males, 17.0 +/- 2.0 mm in females; the lower width was 25.7 +/- 1.7 mm in males, 25.4 +/- 2.1 mm in females. Each measurement was compared with those carried out in other populations.