Validated assessment scales for the mid face.
BACKGROUND
The improvement of aesthetic treatment options for age-related mid face changes, such as volume loss, and the increase in patient expectations necessitates the development of more-complex and globally accepted assessment tools.


OBJECTIVE
To develop three grading scales for objective assessment of the infraorbital hollow and upper and lower cheek fullness and to establish the reliability of these scales for clinical research and practice.


METHODS
Three 5-point rating scales were developed to assess infraorbital hollow and upper and lower cheek fullness objectively. Twelve experts rated identical mid face photographs of 50 subjects in two separate rating cycles using the mid face scales. Test responses of raters were analyzed to assess intra- and interrater reliability.


RESULTS
Interrater reliability was substantial for the infraorbital hollow, upper cheek fullness, and lower cheek fullness scales. Intrarater reliability was high for all three scales. Both of the cheek fullness scales yielded higher reliabilities when three rather than two views were used to assess the volume changes of the cheek.


CONCLUSIONS
The mid face scales are reliable tools for valid and reproducible assessment of age-related mid face changes.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. drjean@carruthers.net
Jean
J
Carruthers
Timothy C
TC
Flynn
Thorin L
TL
Geister
Roman
R
Görtelmeyer
Bhushan
B
Hardas
Silvia
S
Himmrich
Derek
D
Jones
Martina
M
Kerscher
Maurício
M
de Maio
Cornelia
C
Mohrmann
Rhoda S
RS
Narins
Rainer
R
Pooth
Berthold
B
Rzany
Gerhard
G
Sattler
Larry
L
Buchner
Ursula
U
Benter
Lusine
L
Breitscheidel
Alastair
A
Carruthers
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002610:Cheek / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010781:Photography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015361:Rhytidoplasty; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000502:physiology*