Morphometric Analysis of Intracranial Clivus in South Indian Skulls
Author(s): Thiru Kumaran and Yuvaraj Babu K*
Abstract
The clivus is a bony part of the cranium at the skull base, a shallow depression behind the dorsum sellae that slopes obliquely backward and downwards to the foramen magnum. It forms a gradual sloping process at the anterior most portion of the basilar occipital bone at its junction with the sphenoid bone. On axial planes, it sits just posterior to the sphenoid sinuses. The pons and medulla lie on the clivus. The aim of this study was to morphometrically analyse the significance of the inner surface of the clivus in the South Indian skulls, The study was done in 30 unsexed South Indian dry cranial cavities from the Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals. The length and breadth of the internal surface of the clivus was measured using a vernier caliper and the angle was measured with the help of a goniometer. From our study the average breadth of the clivus was 24.05 ± 1.23 mm, average length was found to be 35.30 ± 3.24 mm and the average angle made by the clivus to the base of the skull was 38.15°± 2.54°. Our morphometric analysis of length, breadth and the angle formed may provide useful anatomical, anthropometrical, and surgical data of clivus for the surgeons in planning surgeries on the skull base as many important neurovascular structures are present in this region.