Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of Stylomastoid Foramen in Dry Human Skulls and its Clinical Implications

Introduction: Stylomastoid foramen present between two processes which are styloid process and mastoid process. Facial nerve and stylomastoid arteries are transmitted through the stylomastoid foramen. Facial canal gets terminated in the stylomastoid foramen. Stylomastoid foramen has a site for facial nerve block. Complications reduced by localization of foramen.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the morphology and morphometry of stylomastoid foramen.

Materials and Methods: Damaged skulls were excluded and 60 dry human skulls without any damage were taken for this study. By using digital vernier caliper length and breath of the stylomastoid foramen was measured. Then the statistical analysis was done using SPSS software and paired t-tests were done for comparison.

Results: The length and breadth of the right stylomastoid foramen was 2.39 ± 0.18 mm and 0.85 ± 0.12 mm and the left stylomastoid foramen was 2.18 ±0.33 mm and 1.13 ± 0.38 mm. From the paired t-tests it was very clear that the difference between the breath of right and left stylomastoid foramen was significant (p<0.05) and difference between the length of right and left stylomastoid foramen was not significant (p> 0.05).

Conclusion: The narrow size of stylomastoid foramen varied from individual skull to other. The accurate value for length and breadth, was measured to determine the variations of facial nerve emerging through it. The change in length and breadth of stylomastoid foramen can be correlated with its clinical aspects with reference to facial nerve.