ISSN : 2663-2187

Morphometrical variation in the structure of the external ear: A comparative study in males and females of North India

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Dr. Rahul Rai, Dr. Chandra Kant Diwakar, Dr. Kuldeep Kumar, Dr. Gunjan Rai
» doi: 10.48047/AFJBS.6.Si1.2024.217-226

Abstract

The morphometric knowledge of human ear is important for anthropologists, forensic experts, plastic surgeons, physicians and prosthetic manufacturers. Therefore the aim this study was to evaluate the normal morphometry of external ear in male and female students in North India and compare that with the previous studies. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 100 students (56 males and 44 females) aged 16-26 years. The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi, UP, India. The various features of ear evaluated were shape, type of ear lobe, presence of Darwin’s tubercle, length and breadth of ear, concha and ear lobule, ear length above and below tragus, ear index and lobule index. The data was recorded and compared with student’s t-test in SPSS 20. Results: Pinna was symmetrical in 94.44% of males and 95.65% of females. About 38.8% of male and 36.9% of females had attached ear lobes. The most common shape of external ear observed was oval in both male and females for right and left ears. In case of males measurement of the right ear parameters were high except for length of ear above tragus. In case of females measurement of left ear parameters were high except for length of tragus, width of concha, length of lobule, ear index and lobule index. Ear index was high in male ears while lobule index was high in female ears. Conclusion: The differences observed in ear morphometry implies the possibilities of interindividual or population based variability in external ear features. These measurements hence may be helpful in the field of forensic science as biometric identifier, cosmetic surgery to treat any structural defaults in ear and prosthetic manufacturing companies to prepare artificial auricles

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