Morphological And Metrical Study Of The Cribriform Plate Of The Ethmoid Bone Of Male Nigerians

Abstract

A morphological and metrical study of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone was carried out on dry skulls to determine the degree of asymmetry and establish a base line data for Nigeria. Measurements
were taken on the cribriform plate of 21 dry skull samples which were gotten from three different Nigerian Universities. The skulls were all male specimen of Nigerian origin within the age range of 25-30years. The length of the cribriform plate was measured by carefully placing a pair of divider across the length of the right and left halves from apex to base. The divider was then removed and transferred to a meter rule for a reading to be taken. The width of the right and left halves of the cribriform plate was also measured across the widest area (base) of the bone. The perforations on the right and left halves of the cribriform plate were counted using the hand lens and the total number noted. The results showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05)
between the length and width of the right and left halves of the cribriform plate and in the mean number of perforations. The mean of the length of the right half of the cribriform plate is (2.66± 0.05)cm while that of the
left is (2.62± 0.06) cm. The mean of the width of the right half is (0.64± 0.02)cm while that of the left is (0.63± 0.02)cm. the mean number of the perforations on the right is (32.2± 1.8) while that of the left is (34.3± 1.5). An insignificant level of asymmetry was found in the cribriform plate which is in the form of bulging or flattening of the crista galli and the lateral borders of the plate.