RESEARCH ARTICLE Int J Anat Var Vol 11 No 4 December 2018 143 1 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria 2 Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gregory University, Uturu, Nigeria Correspondence: Dr. Osunwoke EA, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Tel: +2348055160338, Email: aeosunwoke@yahoo.com Received: October 05, 2018, Accepted: December 11, 2018, Published: December 19, 2018 This open-access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits reuse, distribution and reproduction of the article, provided that the original work is properly cited and the reuse is restricted to noncommercial purposes. For commercial reuse, contact reprints@pulsus.com INTRODUCTION A nthropometric data is needed in the design of products as it varies between individuals and nations (1). As products are designed for specific types of consumers, anthropometric data provides a valuable source of information to ergonomist and designers who attempt to consider a range of body sizes and abilities in the design of occupational environments and products (2). Reliable anthropometric data of the ear for a particular population is necessary when designing for that population otherwise the product may not be suitable for the user, (1). Direct measurement of a subject’s ear can be difficult because of distortion of soft tissues of the natural ear during measurements and the problem of the subjects in maintaining the orientation of the head for several minutes, which may alter the operators’ perspectives, (3). Humans show a wide range of biological variation; this variation makes us unique and distinguishes one individual from another. People vary in shape, size, skin colour and many numbers of other characteristics. A characteristic that is often overlooked is the structure of the human external ear. The external ear is highly variable to the point that even two ears of a single individual may be notably different (4). The length and breadth of the ear varies from person to person and anthropometric points have been described to investigate the dimensions of the external ear (5). The ear is an important and under-recognized defining feature of the face whose shape and size conveys information about age and sex, (6). Although the primary function of the pinna is to collect sound waves that are transmitted to ear drum through the external auditory meatus, the ear is also recognized as a cosmetic organ and its importance is more related to the aesthetics and physiognomy of the face, (7). People having abnormal set of ears through congenital malformations or loss of the auricle through trauma usually feel depressed and uncomfortable, (8). Any auricular defect in form of inappropriate size, abnormal elongation of the auricular lobe, or missing part is corrected by surgery, (9). For rectifying such abnormalities plastic surgeons require information about normal auricular dimension, the auricles bilateral position on the face, the general conformations and its variation. But these auricular data vary in different ethnic groups. So the morphometric measurements given in western literatures are less likely to be of much use, (7). Ear biometrics can positively identify an individual using Anthropometric study on the anatomical varia ton of the external ear amongst Port Harcourt students, Nigeria Osunwoke EA 1 , Vidona WB 2 , Atulegwu GC 1 Osunwoke EA, Vidona WB, Atulegwu GC. Anthropometric study on the anatomical variation of the external ear amongst Port Harcourt students, Nigeria. Int J Anat Var. Dec 2018;11(4):143-146. ABSTRACT Background: The morphology of an individual‘s external ear and its dimensions vary amongst persons to the point that the right and left ears differ. Aims: This study is aimed at establishing the anatomical variation in the auricular structure of the students of University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Methods: The study utilizes a total of 200 students, 101 male and 99 female subjects within the age range of 16-30 years. Total ear length and breadth of both ears were measured using a digital vernier caliper (in mm). Results: Result obtained showed the total ear length for the right ear to be 54.3 ± 4.12 while that of left ear is 54.2 ± 4.10. The total ear breadth for the right ear of the subject was 31.4 ± 2.51 while that of left ear was 31.3 ± 2.33. Of the t otal population, oval ear shape was commonly noted (58%), followed by round (25.5%), rectangular (10%) and triangular (6.5%) respectively. 100% symmetry was noted with the shape of the right and left ears. Pearson’s correlation between shape of auricle and gender was not significant (p=0.798). Inference statistics shows the right and left ears of each parameter to be significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results obtained from this study will serve useful purposes in ear morphology and anthropometric considerations. Key Words: Anthropometric; Ear morphology; Auricular structure; External ear; Ear dimensions; Ear shape comparative analysis of the human ear and its morphology. The dimensions of the pinna have been found to vary among different individuals who which can be utilized in forensics for personal identification in the absence of valid finger print. ANATOMY OF THE EXTERNAL EAR The ear is desperately divided into the external, middle and internal ear. The external ear consists of the auricle or pinna and the external acoustics meatus, at the medial end of which lies the tympanic membrane, separating the ear from the middle ear (10). The auricle or pinna has a skeleton of resilient yellow elastic cartilage which is thrown into folds. The folds give the auricle its characteristic shape. The cartilage is covered on both surfaces with adherent skin; it does not extend into the lobule of the ear. The lobule of the tag of the skin containing soft fibro fatty tissue, it is easily pierced for earrings. The cartilage of the auricle is prolonged inwards tubular fashion as the cartilaginous part of the external acoustic meatus, whose attachment to bone establishes the auricle in position. Small anterior, superior and posterior auricular muscles attach the auricle to the scalp and skull (10). The main nerves of the skin of the auricles are great auricular and auriculotemporal nerves. The great auriculotemporal nerve supplies the cranial surface commonly called the back of the ear and the posterior part of the lateral surface. The auriculotemporal nerve, a branch of CN V3, supplies the skin of the auricle anterior to the external acoustic meatus (11). The arterial supply to the auricle is derived mainly from the posterior auricular and superficial temporal arteries (11). The lymphatics of the auricle are as follows: the lateral surface of the superior half of the auricle drains to the superficial parotid lymph nodes. The cranial surface of the posterior half of the auricle drains to the mastoid lymph nodes and deep cervical lymph nodes and the reminder of the auricle, including the lobule, drains into the cervical lymph node (11). Embryologically, the auricle develops from six mesenchymal proliferations at the dorsal ends of the first and second pharyngeal cleft. These swellings (auricular hillocks), three on each side of the external meatus, later fuse and