Abstract
A total of 260 male subjects between 1 and 80 years of age of north-west region of India were studied with regard to morphometry of the ear lobule. The purpose of the present study was to obtain average values and range of measurements of several parameters of the ear lobule and the differences between right and left lobules. Female subjects were excluded from the study due to piercing. Various measurements of lobule were taken with the help of Vernier and Lange’s calipers. The results of the aforementioned measurements were analyzed statistically using Student’s t-test. The maximum length of the lobule increased appreciably between 6-15 years and 41-80 years. The breadth of the ear lobule increased up to the age of 15 years and was almost static between the ages of 16 and 40 years and increased again from 41 years onwards. Length of the lobule showed significant growth from the age group of 6-10 to 11-15, 21-40 to 41-60 and 41-60 to 61-80 years on the right side and 6-10 to 11-15 and 21-40 to 41-60 years on the left side. Breadth and thickness of ear lobule also showed statistically significant growth pattern in some age groups. On comparing the ear lobe dimensions with the studies available in other populations of the world, it was observed that north-west Indians have smaller ear lobules as compared to Caucasian and Japanese populations. In the present study, the frequency of attached (square) type of lobules was the maximum, followed by free (pendulous) type and tapering lobules. These findings were similar to those found among the Onge tribe of Andhra (India) and Newars of Nepal.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamson JE, Horton CE, Crawford HH (1965) The growth pattern of external ear. Plast Reconstr Surg 36, 466–70.
Avelar J (1986) Importance of ear reconstruction for the aesthetic balance of the facial contour. Aesthetic Plast Surg 10, 147–56.
Azaria R, Adler N, Silfen R, Regev D, Hauden DJ (2003) Morphometry of the adult human earlobe: A study of 547 subjects and clinical application. Plast Reconstr Surg 3, 2398–402.
Basu A (1968) Observations on ear lobe attachments in some population groups of Mysore (India). Acta Genet Basel 18, 380–85.
Bhasin MK (1969) Ear lobe attachment among the Newars of Nepal. Hum Hered 19, 506–8.
Brady PM, Zive MA, Goldberg RJ, Gore JM, Dalen JE (1987) A new wrinkle on the ear lobe crease. Arch Intern Med 147, 65–6.
Brucker MJ, Patel J, Sullivan PK (2003) Morphometric study of the external ear. Age and sex related differences. Plast Reconstr Surg 112, 647–52.
Chattopadhyay PK (1968) A note on the ear lobe attachment among the Jats and Ahirs. Acta Genet Basel 18, 277–82.
Das BM (1967) A note on the variation of ear lobe attachment. Acta Genet Basel 17, 154–7.
Dutta PC (1963) A note on the ear lobe. Acta Genet 13, 290–94.
Dutta P, Ganguly P (1965) Further observations on ear lobe attachment. Acta Genet Basel 15, 77–86.
Feenstra L, Van der Lugt C (2000) Ear witness. J Laryngol Otol 114, 497–500.
Frutos LR (2002) Determination of sex from clavicle and scapula in a Guatemalan contemporary rural indigenous population. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 23, 284–8.
Gates RR (1954) Etudes sur le croissement de races (III Nouvelles observations concernant les oreilles, en particulier les lobes). J Genet Hum 3, 95–112.
Hooton EA (1965) Up From the Ape. Motilal Banarasidas Publication, Delhi.
Hunter AGW, Yotsuyanagi T (2005) The external ear: More attention to detail may aid syndrome diagnosis and contribute answers to embryological questions. Am J Med Genet 135, 235–50.
Ishikawa T, Ohura T, Nozaki T (1985) The formal classification of ear lobes and differences by age among residents of Hokkaido. Jpn J Plast Reconstr Surg 5, 539.
Kenny D (1989) Creased earlobes. Lancet 2 (8670), 1037.
Kenny DJ, Gilligan D (1989) The ear lobe crease and coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Cardiology 76, 293–8.
Lai LYC, Walash RJ (1966) Observation on ear lobe types. Acta Genet Basel 16, 250–57.
Loeb R (1972) Earlobe tailoring during facial rhytidoplasties. Plast Reconstr Surg 49, 485–9.
McKinney P, Giese S, Placik O (1993) Management of the ear in rhytidectomy. Plast Reconstr Surg 92, 858–66.
Mohanraju C, Mukhrejee DP (1973) Ear lobe attachment in an Andhra village and other parts of India. Hum Hered 23, 288–97.
Nakamura M (1995) Side-to-side earlobe variation with respect to shape. Plast Reconstr Surg 96, 227.
Pal A (1970) Earlobe attachment of the Onge. Hum Hered 20, 650–53.
Rubin LR, Bromberg BE, Walden RH, Adams A (1962) An anatomic approach to the obtrusive ear. Plast Reconstr Surg 29, 360–70.
Smith DW, Takashima H (1978) Protruding auricle. A neuromuscular sign. Lancet 1, 747–9.
Standring S, Berkovitz BKB, Hackney CM (2005) Development of ear. In: Gray’s Anatomy. Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, 39th edn (Standring S, Ellis H, Healy JC, Johanson D, Williams A, eds). Elsevier Churchill Livingstone, London, 680.
Suzuki A (1950) Genetic studies on the human lappets. On the inheritance of the lobulus auriculae. Jap J Genet 25, 157–9.
Tolleth H (1978) Artistic anatomy, dimensions and proportions of the external ear. Clin Plast Surg 5, 337–45.
Vollmer H (1937) The shape of the ear in relation to body constitution. Arch Pediatr 54, 574.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharma, A., Sidhu, N.K., Sharma, M.K. et al. Morphometric study of ear lobule in northwest Indian male subjects. Anato Sci Int 82, 98–104 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-073X.2007.00166.x
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-073X.2007.00166.x