ABSTRACT
Introduction: Occipital condyles are two bony elevations present on either side of foramen magnum in the baseof the skull which articulates with the superior articular facet of the atlas vertebra, connecting the skull with thevertebral column.Objectives: Morphometric analysis of occipital condyles is important for the neuro-surgeons operating for thepathology like degenerative changes of the condyles, neoplasms, and trauma. So the aim of the study wasmorphometric analysis of the occipital condyles and observe any morphological variations of it.Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 60 occipital condyles of 30 dry adult skulls. Length,breadth, height, intercondylar distance were measured. Relations of hypoglossal canal with the condyles werenoted.Results: The mean length, width and height of occipital condyle were found to be 1.99± 0.33 (right), 2.23 ± 0.33(left), 1.31± 0.28(right) 1.37±0.27 (left), 0.62± 0.17(right) and 0.62± 0.14cm (left), respectively. The mean anteriorintercondylar distance and posterior intercondylar distance were measured as 1.95± 0.34and 3.66± 0.28 cm,respectively. Variations of shape of occipital condyle were kidney like (30%), S-like (23.33%), triangular (16.67%)oval (10.0%), eight like (16.7%) and bipartite condyles (3.33%) respectively. The hypoglossal canal was presentrelated to anterior 1/3 of the occipital condyles in 73.33% case.Conclusions: The shape and morphometric values of occipital condyles are variable. So the knowledge of thesevariations may guide neurosurgeons in transcondylar approach in the management of neoplasms and otherpathology related to this region.