Age- and Sex-Related Measurements of Total Craniofacial Soft Tissue Thickness and Fat in a Central Chinese Population.

Abstract

In this study, data related to the total soft tissue thickness and fat layer thickness of 41 anatomical landmarks were extracted from the craniofacial computerized tomography data of 280 Chinese individuals (160 males and 120 females). The measurements were assessed according to the following factors: a. sex, b. age, and c. sex × age. Descriptive statistics and a differential analysis were carried out in each group to analyze both the total soft tissue thickness and fat layer thickness. The results showed the following. 1. The results showed that the greater the total thickness of the soft tissue, the thicker the fat layer. 2. The thicknesses of the head and face soft tissues are strongly affected by sex. The total thickness of all landmark points in the men, except for the zygomatic points, was on average greater than that in the women. In contrast to the total thickness, the fat layer, except for the point of rhinion, in the women was larger than that in the men. 3. In the comparison of the 4 age groups, most feature points did not show an evident increasing or decreasing trend with age in the total thickness of the soft tissue. However, regarding the thickness of fat, the thickness at the other points, except for the feature infraorbital fossa point, decreased with age. 4. In the analysis of the sex × age group, no statistically significant differences were found at any landmark points. This paper is significant for facial reconstruction and cosmetic surgery in the Chinese population.