title: Facial asymmetry in young healthy subjects evaluated by statistical shape analysis.
abstract: Statistical shape analysis, a relatively a new method for biological research, compares body forms by using specific landmarks determined by anatomical prominences. In this study, we aimed to identify normal facial asymmetry between the right and the left sides of the face. Facial landmark data were collected from two-dimensional digital images of 321 young healthy subjects (150 males and 171 females). These data were analysed using Euclidean distance matrix analysis. The number of significantly asymmetric linear distances between the two halves of the face was greater in females than in males. We found that the left side of the face was most commonly dominant in both males and females. Such data may be useful in establishing a database for future similar studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.forename: Senem Turan
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Etoz
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sigirli
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loukas
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005146:Facial Asymmetry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult