A Retrospective Radiomorphometric Study of the Depth of the Cribriform Plate according to the Keros Classification on Computed Tomography

Background: The cribriform plate (CP) or lamina cribosa is part of the ethmoid bone, and its depth is of utmost importance in presurgical workup before endoscopic sinus surgery. Aim: To determine the variation of the depth of the CP according to the Keros classification. Methods: This was a retrospective study utilizing a sample size of 223 patients. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Ethical clearance was sought from the institutional ethics research committee (TNH-ISERC/DMSR/ERC/RP/021/23). Results: The majority of the patients had Keros type II (right 74%, n=165 and left 68%, n=153), followed by Keros type I (right 19%, n=42 and left 20%, n=44), and a minority of the patients had Keros type III (right 7%, n=16 and left 12%, n=26). The average depth of the right CP was 5.55 mm, while the average depth of the left CP was 5.66 mm. Pearson correlation analysis showed a strong relationship between the depth of the right CP and the depth of the left CP with an R of 0.3888. Conclusions: The study results also show that a majority of the patients fall under Keros type II, which is associated with a moderate risk of iatrogenic injury.