Morphometric Study of the Supraorbital Notches And Foramina In Adult Human Skulls In South-South Nigeria

Background: The supraorbital foramen is a bony elongated path located above the orbit (eye socket) and under the forehead. The supraorbital foramen/notch transmits the supraorbital artery, veins and nerve. Thisstudy is aimed at determining the anatomical variation in size in respect to gender and content of the supraorbital foramen.Methods: A morphometric study of the supraorbital foramen/notch was carried out on 120 human skulls (72 male, 48 female) from the Departments of Anatomy of the University of Benin, University of Calabar, Niger Delta University and University of Port Harcourt all in southsouthNigeria. A pair of dividers and a meter rule were used to measure the lengths and widths of the supraorbital notch/foramen and then placed on a meter rule for readings to be taken. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS analyzer software.Results: The result revealed that the mean length of the supraorbital foramen in males is 1.61±0.60mm for right and1.15±0.50mm for the left while in females it is 1.91±0.60mm for the right and 2.00±0.09mm for the left. The mean width of the supraorbital foramen in males is 3.12±1.23mm for the right and 3.18±1.21mm for the left while for the females it is 3.17±1.05mm for the right and 3.17±0.12mm for the left. The mean length of the supraorbital notch in males is 2.24± 0.60mm for the right and 2.34±0.65mm for the left while for the females it is3.06±1.36mm for the right and 2.53± 0.65mm for the left. The mean width of the supraorbital notch in males is 5.21±1.65mm for the right and 5.40±1.89mm for the left while for the females it is 4.97±0.18mm for the right and 5.00±0.20mm for the left .Conclusion: There is no significant difference between the length and width of the supraorbital foramina/notches in both males and females (P>0.05).Key Words: Supraorbital notch, supraorbital foramina, Skulls, Southern Nigeria

A study on the normal values of inner canthal, outer canthal, canthal index, interpupillary distance and head circumference of 23 - 42 years Igbos

Inner intercanthal distance is the measurement of the distance between the two medial canthi of the eyes, while outer intercanthal distance is the measurement of the distance between the lateral canthi of the eyes. Interpupillary distance is the distance between the pupils, measured from the center of one eye to the centre of the other eye when the eyes are focused on infinity. A study on the normal values of outer intercanthal, inner intercanthal distance, canthal index, head circumference, near and far interpupillary distance was conducted in 23-42 years old Igbos. A total number of 1000 subjects comprising 500 males and 500 females were recruited for this study. Measurements were obtained by using a vernier caliper on the medial and lateral angles of the eyes, while a non stretchable tape was used to measure the head circumference. Canthal index was derived by dividing the inner intercanthal distance by the outer intercanthal distance and multiplying by 100. Near and far interpupillary distances were derived by the use of a meter rule. Results showed that there was change of means with advancing age for the measured dimensions. The mean for the outer intercanthal distance was102.06±4.43mm and 102.09±4.54mm for males and females respectively. Canthal index was 36.72±3.65 and 36.75±4.90 for males and females respectively. The head circumference, near and far interpupillary distance were 59.25±6.45 cm and 59.44±4.98 cm, 68.28±5.08mm and 68.45±5.12mm, 74.9±4.11mm and 74.5± 4.03mm respectively for males and females. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) between the males and females in the measured parameters and the canthal index.This study has provided a database for this Igbo population and may assist craniofacial surgeons during surgery

Morphological And Metrical Study Of The Cribriform Plate Of The Ethmoid Bone Of Male Nigerians

A morphological and metrical study of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone was carried out on dry skulls to determine the degree of asymmetry and establish a base line data for Nigeria. Measurementswere taken on the cribriform plate of 21 dry skull samples which were gotten from three different Nigerian Universities. The skulls were all male specimen of Nigerian origin within the age range of 25-30years. The length of the cribriform plate was measured by carefully placing a pair of divider across the length of the right and left halves from apex to base. The divider was then removed and transferred to a meter rule for a reading to be taken. The width of the right and left halves of the cribriform plate was also measured across the widest area (base) of the bone. The perforations on the right and left halves of the cribriform plate were counted using the hand lens and the total number noted. The results showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05)between the length and width of the right and left halves of the cribriform plate and in the mean number of perforations. The mean of the length of the right half of the cribriform plate is (2.66± 0.05)cm while that of theleft is (2.62± 0.06) cm. The mean of the width of the right half is (0.64± 0.02)cm while that of the left is (0.63± 0.02)cm. the mean number of the perforations on the right is (32.2± 1.8) while that of the left is (34.3± 1.5). An insignificant level of asymmetry was found in the cribriform plate which is in the form of bulging or flattening of the crista galli and the lateral borders of the plate

A study on some effects of the extracts of unripe paw-paw (Carica papaya linn) on wound healing in Wistar rats ( Rattus novegicus)

Background: Wound healing is the process of repair that follows injury to the skin and soft tissues. Attempt at finding a perfect wound-healing agent has a long history. The emphasis was on finding an agent that is affordable, effective and with minimal side effects. Aim: To confirm some effects of the medicinal properties of the extracts of unripe pawpaw as a wound healing agent and it's reported antimicrobial activities. Methods: Twenty adult male Wistar rats of average weight 150-200 g were used for this study. They were split into two groups: Normal saline (controls) and paw-paw (Carica papaya linn) extract experimental groups. Ethical clearance was obtained from relevant institutions and departments for this study. Each animal was weighed and anaesthetized using combinations of ketamine (0.1ml/kg) and diazepam (0.1ml/kg). Each rat was shaved on the right dorso-lateral aspect of the thoracic wall and wiped with 70% methylated spirit soaked in gauze. A 2 cm by 2 cm square skin area was measured    and    excised,   and   wounds   were dressed with paw-paw extracts in experimental group and normal saline in control group. Results: The results revealed significant wound contraction (

Incidence of unusual sacralization and lumbarization in Southern adult Nigeria population

A study on the incidence of unusual sacralization in adult Nigerians was carried out, using sacral bones and radiographs of lumbosacral vertebrae. The bones were obtained from three Nigerian universities which are: University of Port Harcourt, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and University of Nigeria, Enugu campus. The radiographs were gotten from: University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and Seiyefa Clinic, Port Harcourt. Thirty (30) available sacra were taken and observed to note the number of sacralization and lumbarization in male and female bones. Randomly selected lumbosacral radiographs of patients were collected from Radiology Department of the three Hospitals in a two year period  (2006-2007). The X-ray reports were noted and observed. Results revealed that sacralization in males was higher (62.5%) than in females (37.5%) and generally the ratio of sacralization is twice in percentage to lumbarization.Therefore, it is apparent that the condition of sacralization is real, however it is a rare condition that can only be seen through radiograph and does not affect normal life expectancy

A study on the dermatoglyphic patterns of Okrika and Ikwerre ethnic groups of Nigeria

This study was carried out to compare the dermatoglyphic patterns of Okrika and Ikwerre ethnic groups. Dermatoglyphic analysis of five hundred and ten (510) subjects comprising of two hundred and seventy nine (279) Okrika indigenes and two hundred and thirty one (231) Ikwerre indigenes between the ages of 15- 70 years was carried out. The sample population was drawn at random from the University of Port Harcourt and National Secondary School Okrika. The parameters studied are the digital pattern, atd and dat angles. The result revealed that the ulnar loop had the highest occurrence, followed by the whorl, arches and radial loops. The percentage frequency distribution of the digital pattern of the ulnar loop for Okrika was 46.42%, whorl 37.77%, arch 14.12% and radial loops 1.71% while for Ikwerre the ulnar loop was 56.46%, whorl 24.42%, arch 15.89% and radial loop 3.23%. The pattern intensity index for Okrika was 11.69 while that of Ikwerre was 10.91.The mean atd angle for Okrika was 43.98 for the left hand and 43.75 for the right hand while for Ikwerre was 42.68 for the left hand and 41.69 for the right hand. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the digital pattern and atd angles between the two ethnic groups. The mean of the dat angles for Okrika was 60.36 for the left hand and 60.33 for the right hand. That of Ikwerre was 57.41 for the left hand and 57.76 for the right hand. There was however a significant difference between the dat angles of both ethnic groups (