A Morphometric Study of Auricular Concha in the Population of North Indian Adults

ABSTRACT Background: External ear consists of auricle or pinna and external acoustic meatus. The auricle projects to a variable and individual degree from the side of the head. It collects sound waves and conducts them on the external acoustic meatus inward to the tympanum. The auricle therefore acts because the1stcomponent of a series of stimulus modifiers within the auditory apparatus. The lateral surface of the auricle is on an irregular basis concave and faces slightly forwards. Its prominent curved rim, or helix, usually bears postero-superiorly a small auricular tubercle, a structure that is pronounced round the sixth month of intrauterine life, when the auricle closely resembles that of some adult monkeys. Another curved prominence, parallel and anterior to the posterior part of the helix, is the antihelix, dividing above into two crura flanking a depressed triangular fossa. Scaphoid fossa is curved depression between the helix and antihelix. Aim: A Morphometric Study of Auricular Concha in the Population of North Indian Adults. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in department of Anatomy, IIMSR, Lucknow. This study was conducted on 420 adults (210 males and 210 females) who were randomly selected from the population of Uttar Pradesh. Approval of Institutional Research Committee and Institutional Ethical committee was obtained prior to commencement of the study. Informed consent was obtained from each volunteer before taking the measurements. Results: In this stud the mean concha length on the left side was 26.68±2.53 with maximum length of 32.6 mm and minimum length being 13.21 mm whereas the minimum length on the right side was 13.31 mm and maximum length was 32.35 mm with mean value of 26.24±2.71 mm. There was no significant difference between the two sides. The mean concha breadth on the left side was 17.92±1.88 mm with maximum length of 24.71 mm and minimum length being 13.68 mm whereas the minimum length on the right side was 12.42 mm and maximum length was 24.11 mm with mean value of 17.70±1.93 mm. There was no significant difference between the two sides. Conclusion: This insightful data can be applied in diagnosing congenital anomalies, planning ear reconstructive plastic surgeries, and particularly in the ergonomic design of hearing aids