Background: Craniofacial anthropometry is a technique used in both physical and clinical anthropology comprising
precise and systematic measurements of the human skull. It also includes measurement of the medial and lateral canthal
distances. People of different genetic background subjected to signifi cantly different environmental infl uences have
different craniofacial morphology.
Objectives: To fi nd out effect of gender and ethnicity on Canthal anthropometry.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to determine and compare canthal anthropometry
among 299 undergraduate students (Male=161, Female=138) of different ethnic groups (Indo-Nepalese, indigenous
and Tibeto-Nepalese) of age group 19-21 years at BPKIHS. Medial and lateral canthal distances were measured by using
straight vernier caliper and canthal index (medial canthal distances / lateral canthal distance × 100) for all three ethnic
groups in both sexes were compared.