title: Measuring progressive soft tissue change with nasoalveolar molding using a three-dimensional system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For craniofacial orthodontics and surgery to progress, accurate temporal evaluation of soft tissue and skeletal change with treatment is necessary. Evolution in three-dimensional imaging eliminates certain inherent challenges in making such measurements in infants with facial clefts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this pilot study was to measure progressive three-dimensional changes in nasal form in a series of infants with facial clefts during the course of presurgical nasoalveolar molding.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 5 infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate, three-dimensional photographs were obtained using the 3dMD system (3dMD, Inc, Atlanta, GA) at 2-week intervals during nasoalveolar molding treatment. Using the 3dMD Vultus software, temporal soft tissue changes were evaluated quantitatively based on three-dimensional linear measurements of 3 landmarks in the nasal area and qualitative changes in the surface shell.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase in columellar length on the cleft side and decrease of the nostril floor on the noncleft side were observed in all subjects. Progressive changes were observed most significantly in week 4 (T3) into treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study describes an approach using the 3dMD photo system with Vultus software for measuring the progressive change in the nasal soft tissues. The 3dMD system was believed to be valuable for facial analysis in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, The Craniofacial Center (MC 588), 811 S Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. esiman2@uic.edu
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simanca
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Linping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reisberg
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viana
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D010780:Photogrammetry / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012984:Software