Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Morphological and morphometric analysis of supraorbital foramen and supraorbital notch: a study on dry human skulls
, , Sharmila Saran
Objectives:
A clear knowledge of the location of the maxillo-facial foramina is essential for clinicians while performing endoscopic surgeries and regional nerve blocks. In the present study, a detailed analysis of the supraorbital foramen (SOF) and supraorbital notch (SON) of South Indian skulls is reported and the data are compared with those from other races and regions.
Methods:
Anatomical variation of SOF/SON was studied in 83 adult human skulls bilaterally, using "travelling Vernier's microscope". The skulls belonged to the cadavers of South Indian origin. The parameters used were distanced between the SON/SOF and the nasal midline; distance between the SON/SOF and the frontozygomatic suture (FZS); shape and height of the SOF; transverse diameter of the SON; the presence of accessory foramina (ACF) and their number; as well as the location and distance from the main SON/SOF.
Results:
SON was more frequently found than the SOF. The mean distance of SON/SOF to the nasal midline was 22.24 mm on the right side and 22.2 mm on the left side. The mean distance of SON/SOF to the frontozygomatic suture was 29.34 mm on the right side and 28.7 mm on the left side. While the mean height of SOF was 3.5 mm on the right side and 3.04 mm on the left side. Also, the mean transverse diameter of SON was 5.17 mm on the right side and 5.58 mm on the left side. The accessory supraorbital foramina were observed in 66.25% of cases.
Conclusion:
There is a difference in the position and dimensions of SOF /SON between different races and people of different regions. Anatomical knowledge of SON /SOF is important in facilitating local anesthetic, forehead lifting, blepharoplasty and other craniofacial surgical procedures.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:08Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...