Measuring adult facial morphology in three dimensions.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of measuring three-dimensional soft tissue morphology using a laser imaging system.


METHODS
Prospective clinical trial.


METHODS
Thirty-eight adult subjects, mean age 24.5 years, were analyzed for soft tissue changes at baseline (T1) and at 1 week (T2) using two commercially available Minolta Vivid 900 (Osaka, Japan) laser scanning devices assembled as a stereopair. Left and right images were merged to form the whole face, and these images were superimposed to assess the errors between the two faces at T1 and at T2.


RESULTS
The results showed that the mean shell deviations for left and right scans at T1 were 0.32 +/- 0.08 mm and 0.30 +/- 0.09 mm for males and females, respectively. The mean shell deviations for left and right scans at T2 were 0.34 +/- 0.08 mm and 0.32 +/- 0.09 mm for males and females, respectively. The mean difference of the merged composite faces superimposed at T1 and T2 was 0.37 +/- 0.07 mm and 0.35 +/- 0.09 mm for males and females, respectively. Paired t-tests revealed that the mean difference of 0.02 mm was statistically insignificant (P > .05). The reproducibility error was 0.7 and 0.8 mm for females and males, respectively, when a tolerance of 90% was imposed on the aligned faces.


CONCLUSIONS
Capturing soft tissue morphology of the face, using the technique described, is clinically reproducible within 1 week of the initial records.
Kau
Chung How
CH
Wales College of Medicine, Biology, Health and Life Sciences, Dental Health and Biological Sciences, Wales, UK. kauc@cardiff.ac.uk
Richmond
Stephen
S
Savio
Cecilia
C
Mallorie
Craig
C
D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results