Three-dimensional prediction of nose morphology in Chinese young adults: a pilot study combining cone-beam computed tomography and 3dMD photogrammetry system

AbstractThe nose is the most prominent part of the face and is a crucial factor for facial esthetics as well as facial reconstruction. Although some studies have explored the features of external nose and predicted the relationships between skeletal structures and soft tissues in the nasal region, the reliability and applicability of methods used in previous studies have not been reproduced. In addition, the majority of previous studies have focused on the sagittal direction, whereas the thickness of the soft tissues was rarely analyzed in three dimensions. A few studies have explained the specific characteristics of the nose of Chinese individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the hard nasal structures and soft external nose in three dimensions and to predict the morphology of the nose based on hard-tissue measurements. To eliminate the influence of low resolution of CBCT and increase the accuracy of measurement, three-dimensional (3D) images captured by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and 3dMD photogrammetry system were used in this study. Twenty-six measurements (15 measurements for hard tissue and 11 measurements for soft tissue) based on 5 craniometric and 5 capulometric landmarks of the nose of 120 males and 120 females were obtained. All of the subjects were randomly divided into an experimental group (180 subjects consisting of 90 males and 90 females) and a test group (60 subjects consisting of 30 males and 30 females). Corre...
Source: International Journal of Legal Medicine - Category: Medical Law Source Type: research