Cureus. 2026 Jun 24;18(6):e111443. doi: 10.7759/cureus.111443. eCollection 2026 Jun.
ABSTRACT
Background Assessment of facial dimensions provides valuable insights into craniofacial characteristics and population-based morphological diversity. The facial index (FI), calculated from the relationship between facial height and facial width, is commonly used to evaluate facial proportions and classify facial phenotypes. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the FI and determine the distribution of facial phenotypes among undergraduate medical students at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU), Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed among undergraduate medical students in the Department of Anatomy at IMS-BHU, Varanasi, India. A total of 200 undergraduate medical students (104 (52.0%) males and 96 (48.0%) females) were included. Morphological facial height (nasion-gnathion distance) and bizygomatic breadth (zygion-zygion distance) were measured using a standard spreading calliper. The FI was calculated. Participants were classified into facial phenotypes according to Bannister’s classification. Data processing and statistical evaluation were carried out using GraphPad Prism. Comparisons of quantitative variables were conducted using the independent-samples t-test, whereas associations between categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test. A p-value below 0.05 was considered indicative of statistical significance. Results The mean morphological facial height, bizygomatic breadth, and FI among males were 121.64 ± 6.47 mm, 138.38 ± 6.87 mm, and 88.15 ± 6.88, respectively. The corresponding values among females were 113.63 ± 4.61 mm, 132.77 ± 5.29 mm, and 85.74 ± 5.26, respectively. Male participants demonstrated significantly greater morphological facial height (p < 0.001), bizygomatic breadth (p < 0.001), and FI (p = 0.006) compared to females. The mesoprosopic phenotype was the predominant facial phenotype, observed in 69 (34.5%) participants, followed by the euriprosopic phenotype in 57 (28.5%), leptoprosopic phenotype in 30 (15.0%), and both hypereuriprosopic and hyperleptoprosopic phenotypes in 22 (11.0%) participants each. The pattern of facial phenotype distribution was comparable between sexes and did not demonstrate a statistically significant association with sex (χ² = 6.07, df = 4, p = 0.194). Conclusion Significant sexual dimorphism was observed in facial anthropometric measurements and the FI among undergraduate medical students at IMS-BHU, Uttar Pradesh, with the mesoprosopic phenotype being predominant in both sexes. The study provides valuable regional reference data for craniofacial assessment in clinical, forensic, and anthropological settings.
PMID:42500786 | PMC:PMC13399996 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.111443
