Volume: 46 Issue: 3
Year: 2026, Page: 255-259, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51248/v46i3.60
Received: June 13, 2026 Accepted: Sept. 21, 2026 Published: Sept. 25, 2026
Background & Aim: Situated on the anterior maxilla, the infraorbital foramen (IOF) serves as the conduit for the infraorbital neurovascular pathway. Safe execution of regional maxillofacial blocks and invasive midface surgical approaches depends on accurate geographical anatomical data. This investigation sought to determine the dimensions of the IOF and quantify its vertical proximity to the inferior orbital margin (IOM) in adult dried human crania of North Indian origin.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional anatomical study, 60 structurally sound, complete adult human skulls (comprising 120 bilateral sides) were aligned along the Frankfurt horizontal plane. The linear distance separating the upper border of the IOF from the lowest point of the orbit directly above, along with the transverse and vertical dimensions of the aperture, were quantified bilaterally with a divider compass and a 0.01-mm precision digital caliper. Data were subjected to descriptive summary and paired bilateral evaluation.
Results: The mean distance separating the IOF from the inferior orbital rim measured 6.79 ± 1.25 mm (range: 4.26–11.35 mm) on right sides and 7.11 ± 1.55 mm (range: 4.58–11.45 mm) on left sides. Vertical aperture diameters averaged 2.80 ± 0.55 mm (right) and 2.82 ± 0.45 mm (left), whereas horizontal aperture dimensions averaged 2.79 ± 0.72 mm (right) and 2.84 ± 0.71 mm (left). No significant bilateral asymmetry was detected across any parameters (p > 0.05).
Discussion & Conclusion: Morphometric baselines from this North Indian cohort align well with regional Indian data, yet diverge noticeably from Western and African craniometric cohorts.
Keywords: Infraorbital foramen; Inferior orbital margin; Regional block; Maxillofacial surgery
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Fatima Begum, Manik Sehgal, Rubinder Kaur. Morphometric study of Infraorbital foramen in relation to inferior orbital margin in dry adult human skulls in North India. Biomedicine: 2026, 46(3): 255-259. https://doi.org/10.51248/v46i3.60