Department of Anatomy, Ras Al Khaimah College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical & Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
Department of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2023 Dec;19(4):499-506. doi: 10.1007/s12024-023-00577-7. Epub 2023 Jan 20.
Morphometrics of the hard palate is an important aspect of forensic anthropology and odontology. Palatine triangle is a triangular area in the hard palate formed by the palatine processes of the maxillae, which can aid intraoral bone grafts. We present the osteological measurements of the palatine triangle (maxillary palate) based on sex, compare it with other hard palate parameters, and establish the correlation between them. Seventy-seven male skulls and 36 female skulls were examined. Various morphometric measurements of the hard palate and palatine triangle were performed meticulously. Mean and standard deviation of each parameter were computed for groups using SPSS 16.0. Relationships between all parameters were analyzed using Pearson's rank correlation test. The mean palatine length was 38.84 ± 3.75 mm in males and 37.22 ± 4.12 mm in females; the mean palatine breadth was 31.36 ± 2.61 mm in males and 29.78 ± 3.07 mm in females. The mean area of the palatine triangle was 600.88 ± 80.16 mm in male skulls and 547.96 ± 94.28 mm in the female skulls. Statistically significant difference in various measurements of the palatine triangle and hard palate between the male and female skulls was noted. Leptostaphyline (narrow palate) was the most prominent type of palate. The area of the palatine triangle showed a strong positive correlation between the total length and breadth of the palate for both male and female skulls. A strong positive correlation was also observed between the palate length and the palatine triangle length. Palatine index and palate breadth had a statistically significant moderate linear relationship. The maxillary palate length, breadth, and area of the palatine triangle were higher in males when compared to females in South Indian origin skulls. Most of the skulls had a narrow palate. The results of this metric analysis of the palatine triangle may lead to a new concept of anatomical research into studying the hard palate, which can be used for sexual dimorphism.
硬腭的形态测量学是法医人类学和牙科学的一个重要方面。腭三角是硬腭上由上颌骨的腭突形成的三角形区域，可辅助口腔内骨移植。我们根据性别介绍了腭三角（上颌腭）的骨骼测量值，将其与其他硬腭参数进行了比较，并建立了它们之间的相关性。检查了 77 个男性颅骨和 36 个女性颅骨。仔细进行了硬腭和腭三角的各种形态测量。使用 SPSS 16.0 计算每组参数的平均值和标准差。使用 Pearson 等级相关检验分析所有参数之间的关系。男性的腭长平均值为 38.84±3.75mm，女性的腭长平均值为 37.22±4.12mm；男性的腭宽平均值为 31.36±2.61mm，女性的腭宽平均值为 29.78±3.07mm。男性颅骨的腭三角面积平均值为 600.88±80.16mm，女性颅骨的腭三角面积平均值为 547.96±94.28mm。男性和女性颅骨的腭三角和硬腭的各种测量值存在统计学显著差异。窄腭（Leptostaphyline）是最突出的腭型。腭三角的面积与男性和女性颅骨的腭全长和全宽呈强正相关。腭长与腭三角长之间也存在强正相关。腭指数和腭宽之间存在统计学上显著的中度线性关系。与女性相比，印度南部起源的颅骨中男性的上颌腭长、宽和腭三角面积更高。大多数颅骨的腭都比较窄。腭三角的这种形态测量分析的结果可能会导致对硬腭进行解剖学研究的新概念，可用于性别二态性研究。
