Analyzing Morphometry of Foramen Magnum using CBCT: A Forensic Radiology Study

Background: Foramen magnum is the largest aperture at the base of the skull. The crucial tissues that travel via the foramen magnum make its proportions extremely important from a therapeutic standpoint. Objectives: The study’s objective was to do morphometric analysis of foramen magnum and to obtain any gender-wise or age-wise correlation between these measurements of foramen magnum in population of Western Uttar Pradesh using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: 450 CBCT scans of the subjects aged between 11 and 70 years were used in the study. To ascertain the growth rate, variations between groups, and variations in the size of the foramen by sex, the transverse and sagittal dimensions were measured. A statistical analysis of the data was done. Results: The mean transverse and sagittal diameters of the foramen magnum for the total group were 28.76 (±3.66) mm and 34.58 (±5.26) mm, respectively. The results were found to be smallest in 11–20 age group gradually increasing in size to attain maximum size in the age group 31–40 years before declining with growing age. The results were statistically significant for both transverse and sagittal dimensions ( P = 0.00). However, gender-wise, the dimensions were statistically nonsignificant; they were larger in males than in females. Conclusion: The foramen magnum size showed age dependence, with measurements comparable to males and females.