Analysis of mandibular variability in humans of different geographic areas

Summary The mandible is the single mobile bone of the skull. It develops from the sixth week of the intrauterine life. The aim of our study is to confirm the variability of different mandibular landmarks in humans of different geographic areas. A number of 100 young persons from different geographic areas (Europe, Middle Orient, Asia and Africa) were selected. We used the classical measurement with the metric band and Baudeloque compass and analysed 50 cephalograms in frontal and lateral views. The focus of our measurements were the opening of the mandibular angle (gonion), ramal length and width, condylar diameters and the gonion–menton distance. In the European specimens, the opening of the mandibular angle is smaller than in the Asians. Africans had a lower value of the mandibular angle than Asians. Significant differences appeared in the gonion–menton distance measurements, as well. In conclusion, there is a positive correlation between the mandibular angle and the menton–gonion distance, respectively.