Assessment of Variations in South Indian Dry Skulls Using Cranial Index: Craniometric Study

Cranial index is the ratio of maximum width of the head divided by its maximum length multiplied by 100. Maximum cranial length is from the summit of glabella to the furthest occipital point; the maximum cranial breadth is from greater breadth at right perpendicular to median plane and the cranial height is from basion to bregma. The cranial index is used in anthropology to characterize the shape of the skull in the horizontal plane. Low values reflect a relatively long and narrow skull.Various systemsexist to divide crania into longheaded(dolichocephalic), medium headed(mesocephalic) and roundheaded(brachycephalic). The most widespread system classifies the skull with a cranial index greater than 80 percent as brachycephalic, less than 75 percent as dolichocephalic and between 75 and 80 percent as mesocephalic. Index is used as a means of distinguishing anthropology racial types from skeleton. This study analyses and classifies the South Indian Dry Skulls Using Cranial Index. According to our study, majority of the skull types were dolichocranic and few were mesocranic skull types. The data can be useful for forensic medicine experts, anatomist, anthropologist, oral surgeons and for clinical and research purposes.