A study of the near and far interpupillary distances among the Bura ethnic group of North-Eastern Nigeria

Introduction: The aims of this study were to establish standard for the interpupillary distance, document the anthropometric variation of this parameter with advancing age and determine the extent of sexual dimorphism of this parameter among the Bura ethnic group of North Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: 300 subjects comprising of 150 males and 150 females of Bura ethnic group with ages ranging from 7 to 40 were recruited for this study. Data were analyzed in statistical software (SPSS for Windows, Version 17.0, Chicago: Inc.) and comparative tests were conducted using the independent student's - t -test at significant level of 0.05. Results: The mean Near Interpupillary Distance was 63 ± 6.2 mm while the mean Far Interpupillary distance was 69 ± 6.4 mm. The mean values for the Near and Far Interpupillary Distances were 63.2 ± 6.5 mm and 69.6 ± 6.7 mm for males and 62.6 ± 5.9 mm and 68.0 ± 5.9 mm for females respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings would be of benefit in the diagnosis of craniofacial syndromes associated with hyper/hypotelorism, management of posttraumatic orbitofacial deformities, the manufacture of spectacle frames and lenses and as a guide for dentists in selecting denture teeth.