Orbital Opening Shape and Its Alphanumerical Classification

Abstract

Background: Orbit is the one of the most complicated areas of the facial part of cranium. The anthropological analysis of the orbits comprises basic measurement characterizing their shape: width and height. Classic anthropometric methods used to measure the skull variability are burdened with mistakes resulting from construction of measuring devices as well as from researcher's experience.

Objectives: The purpose of our research was to introduce a metric classification of the orbital opening.

Material and methods: The study was carried out on 184 skulls. In our study we suggest introducing a classification of the orbital opening shape by calculating a functional for the 15 categories of the orbit shape. Shape categories have been arranged following the increasing value of the functionals. Each shape category of the orbital opening, according to the Piasecki's descriptive classification, was assigned a letter from the alphabet.

Results: We have observed a greater number of symmetrical skulls in the female group (29.11%) than in the male (23.81%). In both groups the symmetry type AA was the most frequent, it corresponds to the value of functional comprised in the interval from 0 to 1,30. According to the Piasecki's descriptive classification it was the oval elongated type.

Conclusions: Our alphanumerical classification based on the value of functional and on the orbit outline assigned to the value is an objective and useful method of the orbital opening shape analysis.