Variations in somatometric and somatoscopic characters among the Santhals of Dumka district, Jharkhand

Background: Baseline data collection is always very important for the planning and upliftment of any community. It determines the requirement in a more specific manner, thereby acting as an indicator, which can be used to monitor and evaluate any project. With this intention the Santhal people of Dumka in the state of Jharkhand, have been studied to prepare a baseline of their body measurements as well as their somatoscopic observations.Methods: A total of 206 adult Santhal sample has been collected, of which 111 are females and 95 are males. The data was collected with respect to 17 somatometric variables, 3 anthropometric indices and 24 somatoscopic observations.Results: The mean age of Santhal males in the present study is 35.72 years and the mean age of the females is 32.45 years. A typical Santhal of Dumka, Jharkhand is of short stature, with a hyper dolichocephalic head, females with a mesorrhine nose and the males with platyrrhine nose. The nasal index could be an adaptive strategy of survival among them. They have a euryprosopic face. Their skin colour is dark brown. Hairs are coarse, broad wavy and black in colour, which are medium in quantity. Their eyes dark brown in colour has a marked epicanthic fold. The supraorbital ridges are continuous with a broad forehead. They have a medium facial prognathism with thick lips. The Santhals of Dumka are therefore a well-adapted population of the region.Conclusions: Santhals of the present study show all the characters of Austro-Asiatic classification.

Superficial surgical landmarks for the frontal sinus

Object. There is a lack of reports in the literature that contain descriptions of superficial anatomical landmarks for the identification of the internally located frontal sinus. Neurosurgeons must often enter the cranium through the frontal bone and knowledge of the frontal sinus is essential to minimize complications. Methods. Seventy adult cadaveric frontal sinuses were evaluated. Measurements included both the lateral and superior extent of the frontal sinus in reference to a midpupillary line, and the superior extent of the frontal sinus from the nasion. Frontal sinuses were found bilaterally in all specimens. The mean height of the frontal sinus superior to the nasion was 2.8 cm. In 71.4% and 74.3% of specimens the lateral extent of the frontal sinus was found to be medial to the left and right midpupillary line, respectively. Distances superior to a plane drawn through the supraorbital ridges at a midpupillary line included a mean of 2.5 mm for the left side and 1.8 mm for the right side. Conclusions. Of 70 sinuses, none extended more than 5 mm lateral to a midpupillary line. At this same midpupillary line and at a plane drawn through the supraorbital ridges, the frontal sinus was never higher than 12 mm. Finally, in the midline the frontal sinus never reached more than 4 cm above the nasion. These measurements will assist surgeons who must manipulate the frontal bone.

Modified Prone Position for Cranial Remodeling Procedures in Children with Craniofacial Dysmorphism: A Technical Note

A new head position for use during operation on young children with cranial deformities is described. The position allows exposure of the entire calvarium from the supraorbital ridges to the posterior rim of the foramen magnum. It is a modification of the conventional prone position involving hyperextension of the neck. The authors have safely used this position to perform one-stage radical cranial remodeling procedures that previously required two stages. The advantages of this position and the methods for achieving it are discussed.