title: The effect of aging on the three-dimensional aspect of the hand: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the increasing popularity of rejuvenation treatments of the skin, there has been an increase in patient inquiry for rejuvenation of the hand. Thus far, no imaging tool exists to analyze the aging process of the hand. Three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry is a reliable technique, which is used for other purposes in soft tissue analysis of the upper extremity. This pilot study aimed to investigate the possibility of visualizing the hand aging process by 3D stereophotogrammetry.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 64 healthy volunteers were divided into four groups based on age and sex, and a 3D photograph of both hands was captured. Differences in the aspect of the dorsum of the hands were quantified and visualized using two methods. The first method quantified the smoothness of the old and young dorsa. The second method visualized the differences between an average young and old hand by creating a color-coded distance map.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first method showed that the young hands were smoother than the old hands; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.30). The distance map resulting from the second method showed a relative volume loss in the intermetacarpal spaces of the average old hand. These differences were not present when male hands were compared with female hands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study shows that 3D stereophotogrammetry can be used to visualize the exact areas of volume loss on the dorsum of the aging hand. On the basis of this finding, specific treatment areas can be identified, and the results of different esthetic hand surgery procedures can be objectively analyzed and compared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: inge.hoevenaren@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Hoevenaren
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wesselius
authors.affiliation: 3D lab, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Meulstee
authors.affiliation: 3D lab, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Vreeken
authors.affiliation: 3D lab, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T J J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Maal
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D J O
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ulrich
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010780:Photogrammetry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Hand surgery; Hand volume; Rejuvenation; Three-dimensional imaging