Vertical Facial Dimensions and Indices in Adult Upper Egyptians

Background & aim: Facial measurements have been used by numerous researchers to produce standard mean values for skeletal, dental, and soft tissue structures. This has become useful in the classification of different populations. So, the present study was permitted to establish the mean vertical facial dimensions and indices of adults in Upper Egypt represented in Assiut Governorate in Egypt. Also, this study was carried out to establish the sexual differences of some vertical facial dimensions and indices between the adult males and females in the forementioned locality. Subjects and Methods: In the present study, 478 adult subjects were studied for some vertical facial dimensions and indices in Assiut Governorate of Egypt. They were between the ages of 18-69 years, divided into 9 groups ( from Ito IX) and included 256 males and 222 females. Four parameters and three indices had been carried out in the present study. The parameters included the nasal height or upper facial height (UFH), the nasal width (NW), the lower facial height (LFH) and the total facial height (TFH). All measurements were carried out with the help of a sliding caliper. The three indices included the upper facial index (UFI), the lower facial index (LFI) and the nasal index (NI). Results: In the present study the highest value of the UFH, NW, LFH and TFH in both males and females was observed in age group V (34-to-37 years of age group) while the lowest was observed in age group IX (50 -to-69 years of age group). The UFI was ranged from 39.41 % to 40.67 % for males and from 39.4 % to 40.55% for females between group I and group IX. For LFI, the value was 59.41 % for males and 59.16 % for females in group I, while it was 60.71 % for males and 60.66% for females in group IX. The present study revealed higher values of UFH, LFH, TFH, UFI, LFI and NI for males when compared to that of females. This higher values was significant for UFH, LFH, TFH and NI (P= 0.018, 0.05, 0. 011 &0.048), while it was non significant for UFI and LFI. The results showed that, on the average, the UFH for adult males was found to be 4.8 ± 0.17 cm and 4.01 ± 0.14 for adult females. The LFH of adult males was found to be 7.18 ±0.09 cm while that of adult females was found to be 6.81 ± 0.07 cm. The TFH showed mean values of 11.98 ± 0.41 for males and 11.33 ± 0.18 for females. The average UFI in the present study was 40.09% ± 1.7 for males and 40.0% ± 1.3 for females. Furthermore the average LFI in the present study was 59.93% ± 2.1 for males and 59.99% ± 2 for females. Statistical analysis of mean and standard deviation indicates sexual dimorphism, with significantly higher value (p ‹ 0.05) of the average UFH, LFH and TFH in males compared to females of the corresponding ages. Conclusion: This study has been able to establish the mean facial dimensions of adults in Upper Egypt represented in Assiut governorate. It also established that as in other populations facial parameters are sexually dimorphic among the peoples of Upper Egypt and that male facial dimensions are greater than those of females. Knowledge of vertical facial dimensions is important in evaluation of age, sex and racial differences, in clinical applications and in forensic application. [Muhammad H. Muhammad and Hazem A. Sayed.Vertical Facial Dimensions and Indices in Adult Upper Egyptians. Journal of American Science 2011; 7(10):785-791]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience. org.