Prevalência do forame e da incisura supraorbital - padrão anatômico e variação: revisão da literatura

Abstract

The supraorbital foramen is an anatomical structure located near the upper margin of the orbit. As a foramen, its function is to serve as an opening for the passage of the supraorbital neurovascular bundle between the interior of the skull and the orbit to the adjacent regions of the face and scalp. Regarding anatomical variations, when the supraorbital foramen is absent, the presence of the supraorbital notch is common, and vice versa—when there is no notch, a foramen is typically present. Studies conducted for over 30 years have investigated the prevalence of the supraorbital foramen and notch to determine an anatomical pattern. However, there is still an ongoing anatomical debate regarding this structure. This study aims, through a systematic literature review on the prevalence of the supraorbital notch and foramen, to determine whether there is evidence to define a standard pattern and an anatomical variation, thereby contributing to laboratory, clinical, and surgical knowledge. The descriptors used for the advanced search were: "Incidence," "Prevalence," "Anatomical Variation," "Supraorbital Foramen," and "Supraorbital Notch," in both Portuguese and their English translations. Additionally, to refine the research, the Boolean search tool was utilized on the following platforms: SciELO, PubMed, LILACS, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), and MEDLINE. A total of 48 articles were found: 26 in PubMed, 2 in LILACS, 11 in the Virtual Health Library, and 9 in MEDLINE, all in English. The inclusion criteria consisted of observational studies approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee, publications in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, and studies addressing the topic under investigation. Exclusion criteria included literature reviews, case reports, studies on non-human species, articles not meeting quality standards, and studies analyzing the morphology of other foramina and anatomical variations. After applying these criteria, 12 articles remained and were selected for full reading. Among these, only 9 were best aligned with the study's objective due to their scientific data treatment and research result presentation, demonstrating greater relevance and quality. There are undeniable indications that the supraorbital notch is more prevalent in the population than the supraorbital foramen.