The effect of the functional asymmetry of the brain on face morphometry in the university students of mathematics and painting department.

BACKGROUND: The face is a complicated structure configurations of which are originated and components integrated during the developmental stages. Almost the whole of face is formed by neural crest cells migrating from the edge of the cranial neural folds to the pharyngeal arcus. Brain is an asymmetric organ both functionally and anatomically. While the left hemisphere is dominant in processing the verbal, mathematical and logical information, the right hemisphere is dominant in processing the perceptual, visible, spatial and artistic information. The functional differences in the left and right brain hemispheres might also cause differences in facial regions developing from the same centres as telencephalon during embryonic period. Therefore; we aimed to perform linear anthropometric measurements and determine whether functional asymmetry of brain creates any change in facial linear measurements, on the faces of students of painting and mathematics departments whose skills are different from each other. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed on 212 students. A total numer of 22 measurements from 17 anthropometric points for each student were done. Measurements were carried out between November 2011 and February 2012. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that there were statistically significant differences between two student groups in the face width, intercanthal distance, mandibular width, nose width, upper lip height and philtrum length. The comparison of genders revealed that there were statistically significant differences between all measured parameters. In addition, all students from both departments had euryprosopic face type when face type points were compared. CONCLUSIONS: Those differences might be related to the functional asymmetry of brain. Therefore it could be suggested that the functional asymmetry of brain could cause an asymmetry in the face as well as in the linear anthropometric measurements.

Assessment of dimensions of pneumatisation of the anterior clinoid process in middle Anatolian population by computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: The anterior clinoid process (ACP) is usually removed during surgical procedures of the cellar region. The ACP may be different length and width in people; it may be also pneumatic. Therefore, we aimed to determine dimensions and rates of pneumatisation of the ACP in the large study group with clinically importance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand and thirty-one (592 female, 439 male) cranial computed tomography (CT) of the middle Anatolian population was used in this study. The length and basal width of the ACP were measured on the cranial CT. Also; incidence and degree of ACP pneumatisation were identified. RESULTS: The width of the right and left ACPs in females were 10.80 ± 2.27 mm and 10.53 ± 2.07 mm, respectively. The width of the right and left ACPs in males were 11.08 ± 2.39 mm and 10.98 ± 2.35 mm, respectively. The length of the right and left ACPs in females were 8.32 ± 2.40 mm and 8.34 ± 2.35 mm, respectively. The length of the right and left ACPs in males were 8.87 ± 2.62 mm and 8.93 ± 2.64 mm, respectively. There was statistically significant difference between males and females in ACP dimensions, except for the width of the right ACP. Pneumatisation of the ACP was observed on the right side in 46 (9.3%) cases, on the left side in 53 (10.6%) cases, and bilaterally in 32 (6.5%) cases. Incidence of pneumatisation of the ACP was decreased in the age group of 1 month to 20 years. While the incidence of bilateral pneumatisation of the ACP was higher in individuals aged 21-40. CONCLUSIONS: Radiologically recognising pneumatisation and anatomical variations of the ACP may be helpful in decreasing the incidence of surgical complications during anterior clinoidectomy.

Evaluation of the length and angulation of the styloid process in the patient with pre-diagnosis of Eagle syndrome.

Clinical symptoms caused by the elongated styloid process (SP) or calcified stylohyoid ligament were first described by W. Eagle and they are now known as Eagle syndrome (ES). Normal length of SP was stated by Eagle as 2.5 cm. The objective of this study was to determine and discuss the length of SP and medial angulation degree with computed tomography (CT), which is an affective modality in the identification of ES, and a comparison with related studies. Three-dimensional (3D) images obtained from the axial CT scans of 22 cases (11 males and 11 females) aged between 24 and 80 years, who referred to Cumhuriyet University Hospital, Department of Radiology for multi slice CT with the pre-diagnosis of ES, were used. Lengths of the SP and medial angulations were measured on the obtained images. Inter- and intra-group comparisons were carried out using Wilcoxan and Mann-Whitney U tests. The mean length of the SP was found as 4.1 ± 1.1 cm. When inter- and intra-group lengths of the right and left SP were compared, the difference was not significant (p 〉 0.05). The mean medial angulation of the SP was found as 67.5 ± 5.1°. There was a significant difference found between the right side medial angulation and left side medial angulation in all persons (p 〈 0.05). Lengths of the right and left SP of the patients with pre-diagnosis of ES were close to each other. However, the right-side angulation was observed to be smaller than the left medial angulation in all the patients. Similarly, right side medial angulation of the females was smaller than the left side medial angulation, but this difference was absent in the males. Eagle syndrome should be kept in mind in patients with a sore throat radiating to the ears with swallowing and an observed non-compliance between the complaints such as feeling a foreign body in the throat and facial pain, and physical examination of those who do not have a response to long-term medical therapy should be performed.

Variation of the ulnar variance with powerful grip.

Causal relationships between ulnar variance and wrist disorders are known. Gripping and pronation cause proximal translation of the radius with respect to the ulna, leading to a statistically significant increase in ulnar variance. The purpose of this study was to investigate variation of the ulnar variance with powerful grip. A total of 41 male volunteers aged between 19 and 25 years (mean, 21.2+/-1.7 years) were studied. Posteroanterior X-ray films of all wrists were taken in the standardized position. After neutral posteroanterior X-ray films had been taken, subjects were asked to grip a Takei hand dynamometer with maximum force while repeated standardized posteroanterior X-ray films were obtained. Ulnar variance values were measured using the perpendicular method. Mean maximum grip force was 38.1 kg (range, 26.6-47.9 kg). Mean values of force-free (neutral) and forced ulnar variances were 0.06+/-0.21 mm and 1.87+/-0.23 mm, respectively. The difference in ulnar variance between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001). The increase in ulnar variance with grip observed varied between 0.00 mm (minimum) and 3.97 mm (maximum), with a mean of 1.81 mm. Gaining an understanding of normal limits of ulnar variance modification with grip may be helpful in planning surgical treatment.