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Can the "Face Index"; an Anthropometric Measurement, Predict Difficult Laryngoscopy and Intubation?

NCT07366177 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 1000

Last updated 2026-08-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Patient safety is the cornerstone of anesthetic practice, and maintaining adequate respiration represents its most critical initial step. In situations where spontaneous breathing cannot be sustained-such as during general anesthesia-the airway must be mechanically secured. While simple face masks may be sufficient in some cases, endotracheal intubation remains the most reliable method for airway control in conditions associated with respiratory depression.

Airway management may be challenging due to various patient-related anatomical factors, including facial and mandibular structure, obesity, limited mouth opening, facial hair, sunken cheeks, wide facial morphology, and a short or muscular neck. These challenges are collectively described as difficult ventilation and difficult intubation (cannot ventilate-cannot intubate), which may occur unexpectedly or be anticipated. A difficult airway is defined as difficulty encountered by a trained anesthesiologist in face mask ventilation, tracheal intubation, or both.

Several predictors of difficult airway are widely accepted, such as thyromental and sternomental distances, neck circumference, Mallampati classification, upper lip bite test, mouth opening, and interincisor distance. Thorough preoperative airway evaluation is mandatory, as difficult mask ventilation and failed intubation remain major contributors to anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality. Although numerous studies have examined these predictors, research focusing on facial morphology and anthropometric indices-particularly the face index-is extremely limited.

Facial morphology varies considerably among individuals and can be evaluated anthropometrically using simple, noninvasive tools such as a digital caliper. Anthropometric analysis is commonly applied in forensic medicine and reconstructive surgery but has rarely been incorporated into airway assessment.

This study aims to introduce face index analysis as a novel predictor of difficult airway alongside conventional methods. By evaluating measurements such as trichion-gnathion distance, total facial index, upper facial index, and nasal index, the study investigates whether airway difficulty can be predicted using a single index value. All measurements are standard, noninvasive, and routinely performed during preoperative assessment.

Conditions

  • Anesthesia Intubation Complication
  • Laryngoscopy
  • Intubation; Difficult or Failed
  • Anesthesia Morbidity

Interventions

OTHER

Face index

Face index is an anthropometric measurement

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Ordu University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Nilay Taş, Prof. Dr. · Ordu University School of Medicine, Türkiye

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
95 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-11-30
Primary Completion
2027-11-30
Completion
2027-11-30

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07366177 on ClinicalTrials.gov