A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE NORMAL HUMAN EAR IN HUSM USING COMPUTER BASED MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

A study of the human auricle is important to give prior knowledge of average value for standard parameters of the ear. Prosthodontist uses this value when reconstructing the prosthetic ear in order to achieve a pleasant aesthetic glance of the patient with a problem of ear deformity. This study has successfully provided morphometric data of standard ear parameters of both the left and right ear for the Kelantan population. Morphometric study was conducted on 68 samples of normal left and right ears. 15 parameters were measured. Data was retrieved from Computed Tomography (CT) scans and converted to 3-dimensional (3D) digital images using soft tissue development. Results from this morphometric analysis provided the mean and standard deviation values for auricular length and width, length and height of tragus, insertion length of auricle, length and width of lobular and conchal, protusion at superaurale and tragal level as well as the inclination and symmetrical angle.