Study of Morphometry and Topography of Zygomaticorbital Foramen in Adult Dry Skulls and Their Clinical Implications.

Zygomatico-orbital foramen located in the lateral wall of the orbit transmits zygomatic nerve bifurcating into zygomatico-facial and zygomatico-temporal nerve emerging out through zygomatico-facial and zygomatico-temporal foramina, respectively. The zgomatico-orbital foramen varies in number and topography leading to injury to the zygomatic nerve during lifting periorbita from the lateral wall during orbital surgery causing helm of complications. Because of the paucity of literature in the context of the Indian population, the study is carried out. The aim of the study is to expound the morphology and topography of ZOF in adult dry skulls of Indian origin and to correlate with clinical implications. The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy of using 117 right and 117 left orbits. The ZOF was observed in 62.8% orbits with 61.5% and 64.1% in right and left orbits, respectively. The number of ZOF ranges between 0 and 3. The ZOF was absent in 37.2% orbits. The mean shortest distance of the foramen in mm on the right and left side was 4.9±0.9 and 5.1±1.3, respectively. The mean distance of foramina in mm from the site of retrobulbar injection on the right and left sides were 16.2±1.2 and 16.4±1.1, respectively. The thorough knowledge of these foramina in zygomatic bone is essential during surgical approaches to face, orbit, and cranium as these foramina transmits important neurovascular bundle that may be injured while performing surgery in aforementioned area leading to intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative complications like paraesthesia due to injury to nerves involved.