Abstract
This study investigated nose profile morphology and its relationship to the skull in Scottish subadult and Indonesian adult populations, with the aim of improving the accuracy of forensic craniofacial reconstruction. Samples of 86 lateral head cephalograms from Dundee Dental School (mean age, 11.8 years) and 335 lateral head cephalograms from the Universitas Padjadjaran Dental Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia (mean age 24.2 years), were measured. The method of nose profile estimation based on skull morphology previously proposed by Rynn and colleagues in 2010 (FSMP 6:20–34) was tested in this study. Following this method, three nasal aperture-related craniometrics and six nose profile dimensions were measured from the cephalograms. To assess the accuracy of the method, six nose profile dimensions were estimated from the three craniometric parameters using the published method and then compared to the actual nose profile dimensions.In the Scottish subadult population, no sexual dimorphism was evident in the measured dimensions. In contrast, sexual dimorphism of the Indonesian adult population was evident in all craniometric and nose profile dimensions; notably, males exhibited statistically significant larger values than females. The published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20–34, 2010) performed better in the Scottish subadult population (mean difference of maximum, 2.35 mm) compared to the Indonesian adult population (mean difference of maximum, 5.42 mm in males and 4.89 mm in females).In addition, regression formulae were derived to estimate nose profile dimensions based on the craniometric measurements for the Indonesian adult population. The published method is not sufficiently accurate for use on the Indonesian population, so the derived method should be used. The accuracy of the published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20–34, 2010) was sufficiently reliable to be applied in Scottish subadult population.
Highlights
In order to establish the identity of severely damaged human remains, in which the primary methods such as dental, DNA and finger print identification have failed, craniofacial reconstruction may offer a solution in facilitating familial recognition
The University of Dundee utilises a combination method for facial reconstruction, merging both facial approximation (average soft tissue depths (ASTD) and guidelines for facial feature estimation derived by regression analysis) and facial reconstruction [1, 4]
In the Scottish subadult population, an independent t test showed that there were no significant differences in both aspects of craniometrics and nose profile dimensions between the sexes (p > .05)
Summary
In order to establish the identity of severely damaged human remains, in which the primary methods such as dental, DNA and finger print identification have failed, craniofacial reconstruction may offer a solution in facilitating familial recognition. The bone beneath the superficial masticatory muscles (the ramus of the mandible beneath masseter and the temporal fossa beneath temporalis) If these areas are more deeply concave than usual, Int J Legal Med (2018) 132:923–931 with a raised zygomatic arch, it dictates bulkier muscles, deeper than average tissue. If areas such as the brow ridge or the zygomatic bones are more prominent than usual, slightly deeper than average tissue should be applied [5]. Even if overestimated, this would have the effect of slight caricaturisation, likely, if anything, improving the recognisability of the facial reconstruction. Regarding the mouth, dental occlusion or malocclusion has a measurable effect on the tissue depth, with a skeletal class II overjet producing deeper tissue below the mouth [6] and a skeletal class III anterior cross-bite (protrusive mandible) producing deeper tissue above the mouth, as the muscles around the mouth react to each malocclusion to preserve lip competence in everyday life
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
