Abstract
Objectives : The purpose of this paper is to study the correlation between cheekbone and life span prediction. Methods : The 『Huangdineijing』 was searched for verses that include terms that refer to the zygoma such as '顴骨', '䪼', '頄', '目下', '墻'. Terms such as '大骨' that are directly related to life span were searched as well, of which the results were analyzed. The relationship between bone shape and life span, the characteristic of facial bone diagnosis, the relationship between zygoma diagnosis and life span, and zygoma related contents in physiognomy texts such as the 『Mayixiangfa』 were examined. Results & Conclusions : Dagu[大骨, big bone] refers to bones in major joints that reflect the condition of Essence Qi, which is why the diagnosis of Dagu is key to determining one's life span. The zygoma is the big bone of the face, and a bad complexion in this area reflects pathogenic heat penetration into the Kidney, which is the foundation of Yin. As Kidney water as Yin Essence is directly connected to life, complexion change in the zygomatic area is highly relevant to life span. Moreover, as one of the main bones where the Kidney Essence is concentrated, the zygoma is the last to stand when the body is deteriorating, as it is the manifestation of heightened bone qi that is rooted in Yin Essence, thus an important site that provides clues to determine one's life span.