I. P. Thilakumara; P. V. K. S. Hettiarachchi; R. M. Jayasinghe; M. C. N. Fonseka; R. D. Jayasinghe & C. D. Nanayakkara

Infraorbital foramen (IOF) located bilaterally within the maxillary bone about 1 cm inferior to the infraorbital margin is a vital landmark when delivering local anesthesia and during surgical interventions in the midface region. A total of 122 infraorbital foramina in 61 cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) images of 32 females and 29 males in the age range of 17 to 32 were analyzed to determine the shape, direction, presence of accessory foramina, size and the precise position of IOF in relation to the inferior orbital margin (IOM), maxillary midline (MM), lateral nasal wall (LNW), alveolus (ALV) and maxillary teeth in a group of Sri Lankan people. The IOF was oval in shape (80.3 % and 88.5 % on the right and left side, respectively) in a majority of individuals. The infraorbital foramina were located at a mean distance of 5.56 ± 3.95 and 4.91 ± 2.08 mm, below the IOM on the right and left side, 27.13 ± 2.6 and 26.99 ± 2.73 on the right and left side from the mid maxillary line, 11.96 ± 3.45 mm and 12.18 ± 3.35 from the LNW on the right and left side and 29.59 ± 3.59 and 29.65 ± 3.28 above the alveolar crest on the right and left side. There were no statistically significant differences between the left and right sides or between sexes. Majority of IOF (37.5 % and 55.9 % on the right and left side, respectively) were located in the vertical plane passing though the maxillary second premolar tooth.

KEY WORDS: Infraorbital foramen; Infraorbital nerve; Morphometry.

THILAKUMARA, I. P.; HETTIARACHCHI, P. V. K. S.; JAYASINGHE, R. M.; FONSEKA, M. C. N.; JAYASINGHE, R. D. & NANAYAKKARA, C. D. Morphometric analysis of infraorbital foramen using cone beam computed tomography in a cohort of Sri Lankan adults. Int. J. Morphol., 39(2):489-496, 2021.