Association between subjective and objective measures of lip form and function: an exploratory analysis.
OBJECTIVE
In patients with cleft lip and palate, the aims of this study were to generate objective measures of different attributes of lip movement and to explore the utility of these objective measures by examining the association between examiners' subjective assessments with the objective measures.


METHODS
Thirteen patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate with varying degrees of cleft scar severity were selected. All patients had a previously repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate.


METHODS
Photographs and videotape recordings were made of the patients with cleft at rest and during smiling. Measurements of lip movement were obtained by means of a motion analysis system.


METHODS
The study sought to obtain rankings of cleft scar severity and impairment on a 6-point Likert scale by a lay and professional panel and measurements of displacement, asymmetry, speed, and velocity of upper lip during smiling.


RESULTS
Displacement was the most consistent and valid objective measurement. An objective analysis of the entire upper lip provided the most information. In general, there was a decrease in the objective measures of upper lip movement as examiners' perceptions of facial appearance or disfigurement at rest and impairment during movement became worse. This relationship was stronger for the at-rest perceptions, implying that subjective assessments should be made with the face at rest.


CONCLUSIONS
Objective measures provided the promise for differentiation of the components of movement and should be used to supplement subjective evaluations of lip appearance at rest and during movement.
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, CB #7450, Brauer Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA. Carroll-Ann.Trotman@dentistry.unc.edu
Carroll-Ann
CA
Trotman
Ceib
C
Phillips
Julian J
JJ
Faraway
Kelly
K
Ritter
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D009068:Movement; D015588:Observer Variation; D023861:Photography, Dental; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014741:Video Recording