Size and shape of soft-tissue facial profile: effects of age, gender, and skeletal class.
OBJECTIVE
A method for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the facial soft-tissue profile has been developed, and applied to analyze the pretreatment lateral head films of 240 orthodontic patients aged 8 to 14 years.


METHODS
Patients were subdivided for sex, age, and skeletal class. To standardize for different facial sizes, soft-tissue profiles from nasion to pogonion were traced in polar coordinates without modifications of facial shape, and standardized for an equal skeletal vertical dimension.


RESULTS
The method allowed a simple and rapid quantitative evaluation of soft-tissue profiles during facial growth. An approximate evaluation of the soft-tissue thickness at nose, lips, and chin was also possible. No particular mathematical knowledge was required at any step of the analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Facial soft-tissue size and shape were influenced by age and sex, and to a minor extent by skeletal class.
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Laboratorio di Anatomia Funzionale dell'Apparato Stomatognatico, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Sforza
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D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D002680:Chin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014716:Vertical Dimension