Anatomical study for the infraorbital foramen

ABSTRACT

One hundred and twenty Egyptian adult skulls were examined to ascertain the location of the infraorbital foramen and the direction of the infraorbital canal to the face. Fifty halves head and neck of adult male cadaveric specimens were dissected to study the locational relationship of the infraorbital foramen to the angles of the eye and to study the contents of the foramen. Dry skulls were differentiated into 62 males, 46 females and 12 of undetermined sex. Bony results demonstrated that the most common position of the infraorbital foramen was opposite the second upper premolar tooth. The most common direction for the infraorbital canal into the face was downwards, forwards and medially. The mean distance between the center of infraorbital foramen and the midsagittal plane was 30.9 mm on the right side and 30.6 mm on the left side in males; while this distance was 29.6 mm on the right side and 29.7 mm on the left side in females. The mean distance between the center of the infraorbital foramen and the inferior orbital margin was 8.6 mm on the right side and 9.2 mm on the left side in males; while this distance was 7.0 mm on the right side and 7.3 mm on the left side in females. The mean distance between the center of the supraorbital notch and the midsagittal plane was 24.5 mm on the right side and 24.8 mm on the left side in males; while this distance was 24.2 mm on the right side and 24.3 mm on the left side in females. The mean distance between the center of the supraorbital notch or foramen and the center of the infraorbital foramen was 43.2 mm on the right side and 42.9 mm on the left side in males; while this distance was 40.8 mm on the right side and 41.0 mm on the left side in females. The mean angle between the line joining the supraorbital notch and the infraorbital foramen and the vertical line parallel to the midsagittal plane was 7.3 degrees on the right side and 7.2 degrees on the left side in males; while this angle was 8.8 degrees on the right side and 8.9 degrees on the left side in females. These locational relationship would be helpful clinically to determine the location of infraorbital foramen by palpation of supraorbital notch. Dissection of 50 halves head and neck revealed that in most specimens [80%] the infraorbital foramen was present exactly at a vertical line passing at the middle of the horizontal line passing between the lateral and medial angles of the eye. These findings may be helpful in anaesthetic block of infraorbital nerve at its passage through infraorbital foramen