Determination of facial symmetry in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients from three-dimensional data: technical report and assessment of measurement errors.
OBJECTIVE
To assess measurement errors of a novel technique for the three-dimensional determination of the degree of facial symmetry in patients suffering from unilateral cleft lip and palate malformations.


METHODS
Technical report, reliability study.


METHODS
Cleft Lip and Palate Center of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.


METHODS
The three-dimensional facial surface data of five 10-year-old unilateral cleft lip and palate patients were subjected to the analysis. Distances, angles, surface areas, and volumes were assessed twice.


METHODS
Calculations were made for method error, intraclass correlation coefficient, and repeatability of the measurements of distances, angles, surface areas, and volumes.


RESULTS
The method errors were less than 1 mm for distances and less than 1.5 degrees for angles. The intraclass correlation coefficients showed values greater than .90 for all parameters. The repeatability values were comparable for cleft and noncleft sides.


CONCLUSIONS
The small method errors, high intraclass correlation coefficients, and comparable repeatability values for cleft and noncleft sides reveal that the new technique is appropriate for clinical use.
Nkenke
Emeka
E
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Glueckstrasse 11, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. emeka.nkenke@mkg.imed.uni-erlangen.de
Lehner
Bernhard
B
Kramer
Manuel
M
Haeusler
Gerd
G
Benz
Stefanie
S
Schuster
Maria
M
Neukam
Friedrich W
FW
Vairaktaris
Eleftherios G
EG
Wurm
Jochen
J
D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D055095:Optics and Photonics