The lacrimal punctum is a crucial component of the proximal lacrimal drainage pathway. It plays a vital role in maintaining ocular health by serving as the primary entry point for tears to drain from the ocular surface into the lacrimal sac and the nasolacrimal duct (Kakizaki and Ali, 2018). Any malformations or changes in this structure can lead to tear drainage disorders, significantly impacting an individual's quality of life (Gupta et al., 2018). Studying the morphological characteristics of the lacrimal punctum in normal population is essential as it provides a baseline for identifying and understanding its anatomical structure in disease-free individuals. This baseline may be used as a reference point for comparison when evaluating abnormal conditions. An elaborate earlier study of the clinical anatomy of the lacrimal punctum indicates that it might be affected by factors such as age and sex (Bothra et al., 2023). The present study aims to individually analyze the morphology of all the four lacrimal puncta of a normal subject, examining how these features are influenced by factors such as age and sex.

Geometric Morphometrics (GM) is a sophisticated technique used to study the shape and form of structures. Unlike the traditional morphometric methods, which consider linear measurements and angles, the GM analyzes the coordinates of specific landmarks on an object using statistical methods to capture the entire geometry of the structure and facilitate a more detailed and nuanced understanding (Cooke and Terhune, 2015, Richtsmeier et al., 2002). In GM, the technique of outline analysis assesses the intricate details of shapes, and that of Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA) is used to break down complex shapes into simpler, harmonically related curves or ellipses. This method has been widely applied across various disciplines, including botany, medicine, and anthropology, to capture the subtle variations in biological shapes (Sanfilippo et al., 2014, Nawrocki et al., 2018).

The primary objective of this study is to employ outline analysis, with a particular emphasis on EFA, to compare the shapes of the lacrimal punctum between different sexes and age groups. This endeavor has significant practical implications, as variations in the shape of the lacrimal punctum are linked to the efficiency of tear drainage. Utilizing cutting-edge techniques such as GM and EFA, the study seeks to deepen our knowledge of this complex anatomical structure.