Anthropometric Measurement of Human External Ear: A Single-Center Experiment in a Pediatric Saudi Population

Objectives: Anthropometry, the study of human anatomy through dimensional analysis, is essential for standardizing human anatomy. This study aimed to measure external ear anthropometric variables in healthy pediatric Saudi individuals using a novel, photo-based technique. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 1-17 years attending the otorhinolaryngology clinic at a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between August 2022 and January 2023. We enrolled 76 participants (148 ears) who met our inclusion criteria. Patients with external ear deformities due to trauma, congenital malformations, previous surgery, or known congenital syndromes were excluded. This study used a software modality to measure the anthropometric variables which required a picture displaying the desired measurement area and a ruler to set the standard distance. Subsequently, all data were extracted using this method. Results: Of 76 enrolled participants, 52 (68.4%) were male and 24 (31.6%) female. The average age of the included participants was 7.71 ± 4.14 years. Significant differences were found in the right and left ear measurements between males and females. Right and left ear lengths, lobular lengths, concha lengths, and concha widths were significantly greater in males than in females. Conclusion: The study results suggest that male children tend to have larger ears than female children. Additionally, the anthropometric ear measurements in the Saudi pediatric population appear to be smaller than those of pediatric patients from other populations.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-025-05633-y.