Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
Surgical Correction for Pediatric Epiblepharon and Trichiasis
Published on: July 8, 2025
Characterization of the Upper Tarsal Plate Growth in Children: Implication in Pediatric Eyelid Surgery
Seo Yeon Park1, Sehyun Baek2, Hwa Lee1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan.
Insights
The upper tarsal plate grows significantly in height and area throughout childhood, reaching adult dimensions by age 10-13. Early childhood measurements are crucial for pediatric eyelid surgery planning.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Anatomy
Background:
- Assessing upper tarsal plate dimensions in children is vital for understanding eyelid development.
- Korean children aged 6 months to 13 years were studied to analyze tarsal plate growth patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the height, length, and area of the upper tarsal plate in Korean children.
- To analyze the growth and development of the tarsal plate from infancy to adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Digital photography with a reference ruler was used to capture images of the everted upper eyelid under general anesthesia.
- Image J software was utilized for precise measurements of tarsal plate central height, upper border length, lower border length, and area.
- Statistical analysis (SPSS) was performed on data categorized into four age groups.
Main Results:
- Tarsal plate height and area demonstrated a consistent increase with age (P=0.001).
- A notable, abrupt increase in lower border length was observed between the 0-3 and 4-6 year old groups (P<0.001).
- Significant differences in central tarsal height were found between younger (0-6 years) and older (10-13 years) children (P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- The upper tarsal plate undergoes significant growth during childhood, achieving adult size by 10-13 years of age.
- Tarsal dimensions in early childhood (0-3 years) are considerably smaller than in older children, a factor critical for surgical considerations.
- These findings provide essential data for pediatric eyelid surgery, emphasizing age-specific anatomical differences.
Introduction:
To measure the height, length, and area of the upper tarsal plate in Korean children between 6 months and 13 years of age and analyze growth of the tarsal plate.
Methods:
Children who underwent lower epiblepharon correction surgery and congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction were included. Under general anesthesia, the upper eyelid was everted and a photograph was taken with a reference ruler using a digital camera. Tarsal plate central height, upper border length, lower border length, and area were measured using Image J software. Objectives were classified into 4 groups according to age. Mean analysis and comparison between groups were performed using the SPSS program.
Results:
One hundred two tarsal plates in 51 patients were measured. Mean central tarsal height was 6.92 ± 1.09 in the 0 to 3 years old group, 7.25 ± 0.81 in the 4 to 6 years old group, 7.64 ± 0.71 in the 7 to 9 years old group, and 8.11 ± 0.46 in the 10 to 13 years old group. The height and area of the tarsal plate gradually increased with age (P = 0.001), but the lower length of the 0 to 3 years old group differed from the other groups and showed abrupt increase between the 0 to 3 years and 4 to 6 years old groups (P < 0.001 by the Kruskall-Wallis test and post-hoc analysis). There was a statistically significant difference between the central tarsal height of 0 to 6 years old groups and that of the 10 to 13 years old groups (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
The height and length of the tarsal plate increase in children with age and it reached adult size between the ages of 10 and 13 years. In the 0 to 3 years old group, tarsal height and length are shorter than that of the 10 to 13 years old group and this difference should be considered when performing upper lid surgery.
