Objectives: Endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approaches to lesions involving the clivus carry several disadvantages for midline skull base lesions, including higher morbidity and a lesser extent of resection. This study aimed to investigate the anatomical detail of the clivus in order to identify failure criteria and improve success parameters.
Methods: Clivus length, width, thickness and area, opisthion–dorsum sellae length, dorsum sellae–basion angle, and foramen magnum length and width were evaluated on 32 adult dry human skulls using ImageJ. The prevalence of clivus shape, border type and surface type was also determined. Results: Mean clivus length was 3.52±0.37 cm in females and 3.25±0.63 cm in males, and clivus width was 1.42±0.50 cm and 1.41±0.57 cm, respectively.
Among clivus types, the long-straight type had the greatest length (4.16±0.25 cm) and the short-sloped type the shortest (2.98±0.36 cm). The most common clivus shape was the short-sloped type (56.25%), the most frequent border type was inward-curved (40.6%), and the most common surface type was concave (56.25%).
An asymmetric shape was observed in 31.25% of specimens, an irregular surface in 25%, and asymmetric borders in 31.3%. Foramen magnum length was significantly greater in males (p