ROLE OF ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS IN DETERMINING OCCLUSAL VERTICAL DIMENSION

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of the occlusal vertical dimension with anthropometric measurement of fingers in Pakistani population. This correlation can be used to determine occlusal vertical dimension in edentulous patients. It was a cross sectional study and it was carried out in six months duration, from October 2018 to March 2019. A total of 200 dentate subjects fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected from Lahore medical and dental college Lahore. Non-probability purposive sampling was used for the selection of the subjects. Informed consent was taken. Their occlusal vertical dimension was measured from base of nasal septum to the base of chin by using digital vernier caliper. Anthropomertic measurement of the index finger, little finger and distance from the tip of thumb and the index finger were taken. SPSS version 20 was used to statistically analyzed the data. Pearson’s correlation was used to find out the correlation between the occlusal vertical dimension and the length of fingers.

The results of the present study showed that the correlation was positive and strongest for the parameter little finger measurement in females. In males weak positive correlation of OVD was obtained with index finger (p 0.02, r 0.23) and similarly with the parameter little finger (p 0.06, r 0.189), however no correlation was found between OVD and distance between thumb and index finger.

From the results of the present study it was concluded that anthropometric measurements of fingers is a simple, non invasive and reproducible method for determining the OVD of edentulous patients.