Upper Facial Height of Adult Human Skulls in Thailand

Objective: Understanding the similarities and differences in the anatomy of the male and female face is important for the surgeon doing facial reconstructive procedures. The current study aims to evaluate the average normal value of upper facial height from the skull of donated cadavers of males and females for maxillary osteotomy in conjunction with orthodontics. Materials and Methods: A total of 196 adult dry human skulls (100 males and 96 females) were obtained from donated cadavers in the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. The length of upper facial height, nasion (n) to prosthion (pr) or n-pr, was measured and the mean length vis-a-vis males and females was assessed using SPSS version 17. Results: The respective mean upper facial height (n-pr) in males in females was 68.6 and 65.84 mm. The mean length of upper facial height in males was 2.76 mm higher than in females. Conclusion: Upper facial height measurement in the current study was clinically significant. The data can be used in orthognathic surgery in conjunction with orthodontics for males and females in Thailand. Keywords: Upper facial height, Human skulls, Thailand