Comparison of Three Methods Used for Estimating Area of Foramen Magnum

Objective: To compare whether there are any differences between the 3 methods used for measure area of foramen magnum (FM) in skulls. Methods: The FMs of 150 skulls were examined. Antero-posterior diameter, transverse diameter were measured using by Vernier caliper. The area of the FM was calculated by using 2 different formulas as described previously by Radinsky and Teixeira. The authors also applied stereological assessment method for estimating the surface area of FMs. The area was calculated 3 times manually using stereological point grid system for each skull. The authors compared the mean surface area of FMs obtained from each of these 3 methods estimating surface area of FMs whether there were any significant differences in between their results. Results: The mean areas of the FMs estimated according to Teixeria formula, Radinsky formula, and Cavalieri stereological method were respectively as follows: 790.47 ± 99.86 mm2, 783.66 ± 99.34 mm2, and 748.06 ± 100.19 mm2. The authors observed significant differences (P 

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