Three-dimensional Facial Morphology Research Articles

Characterizing biomarkers of ageing in Singaporeans: the ABIOS observational study protocol.

Ageing is the primary driver of age-associated chronic diseases and conditions. Asian populations have traditionally been underrepresented in studies understanding age-related diseases. Thus, the Ageing BIOmarker Study in Singaporeans (ABIOS) aims to characterise biomarkers of ageing in Singaporeans, exploring associations between molecular, physiological, and digital biomarkers of ageing. This is a single-centre, cross-sectional study that recruits healthy community-dwelling adults (≥ 21 years) from three different ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay, and Indian). Molecular biomarkers of ageing include multi-omics approaches, such as DNA methylation analysis and metabolic and inflammatory proteomic profiling in blood, saliva, and stool. Physiological biomarkers of ageing include bone density, body composition, skin autofluorescence, arterial stiffness, physical performance (e.g., muscle strength and flexibility), cognition, and nutritional status. Digital biomarkers of ageing include three-dimensional facial morphology and objectively measured physical activity. Additional measures, such as habitual physical activity, dietary patterns, and medical history, are also examined. The associations between the molecular, physiological, and digital phenotypes will be explored. This study is expected to generate a comprehensive profile of molecular, physiological, and digital biomarkers of ageing in Chinese, Malay, and Indian populations in Singapore. By integrating diverse age-related biomarkers, clinical indicators, and lifestyle factors, ABIOS will offer unique insights into the ageing process specific to Southeast Asian populations. These findings can help identify markers of biological ageing, uncover ethnic-specific patterns, and reveal modifiable lifestyle factors for healthier ageing. The results could inform evidence-based health policies, personalized interventions, and future cross-ethnic comparative studies to enhance understanding of ageing biology across diverse populations.

Three-dimensional facial morphology in patients with craniofacial microsomia and microtia.

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM) is classified using the subjective Orbit, Mandible, Ear, Nerve and Soft tissue (OMENS) tool. Digital stereophotogrammetry (i.e. three-dimensional [3D] photography) can be used to capture facial shape objectively. This case-control study assessed the applicability of 3D photography in distinguishing between patients with CFM and individuals without craniofacial conditions, as well as classifying the severity of facial involvement. 3D photographs of patients with CFM and/or microtia from the Amsterdam UMC, Radboudumc and the Great Ormond Street Hospital and of individuals without craniofacial conditions were assessed. Differences between patients and controls were explored through asymmetry index (ASI) and facial signature (FS) scores, as well as a principal components (PC) analysis of FS scores and logistic regression. Correlations between OMENS scores and ASI, FS and PC scores were evaluated. A total of 179 patients and 210 controls were analyzed. ASI and FS scores differed significantly between patients and controls (p<0.001), and were correlated with several OMENS subscales. The logistic regression model distinguishing between patients and controls showed increasing asymmetry of the mandible and orbits with increasing Pruzansky-Kaban score. Patients with isolated microtia deviated from controls in the midface. Clinically significant differences in the facial morphology of patients with CFM and microtia were found compared to controls, suggesting that 3D photography can be used to assess the severity of facial involvement in a novel, objective and safe way in these patients.

Masticatory function and three-dimensional facial morphology of soft tissues: One year after orthognathic surgery

ObjectiveDentofacial deformities (DFD) require orthodontic treatment, orthognathic surgery, and speech therapy for aesthetic and functional problems. This longitudinal study analyzed changes in masticatory function and three-dimensional (3D) facial soft tissue in patients with Class II and Class III DFD after orthognathic surgery. In addition, the study investigated the relationship between facial measurements, maximum bite force (MBF), and orofacial myofunctional status (OMS). DesignThe sample consisted of 46 participants, including 10 patients with Class II DFD, and 11 patients with Class III DFD. These groups were assessed before (T0) and 6 months (T1) after surgery. Twelve patients who completed the treatment protocol were evaluated 12 months post-surgery (T2). The patient groups were compared with each other and with a control group (CG) of 25 healthy subjects. The participants underwent MBF and clinical evaluation of OMS, including masticatory behavior, using a validated protocol. The 3D facial soft tissue was assessed using laser scanning. ResultsCompared to the CG, DFD patients showed reduced MBF, masticatory behavior, and OMS scores at T0. At T2, there was an improvement in MBF, masticatory, and OMS scores, but differences were observed compared to the CG. Changes in facial soft tissue followed the underlying hard tissue movement resulting from surgery, and reduction of vertical measurements contributed to improvements in masticatory function. ConclusionThese findings indicated that combined surgery, orthodontic treatment, and speech therapy can lead to a significant improvement in masticatory function and facial soft tissue in DFD patients, although not completely 12 months post-surgery.

Three-dimensional evaluation of soft tissues in hyperdivergent skeletal class II females in Guangdong

ObjectivesTo establish the three-dimensional facial soft tissue morphology of adolescent and adult females in the Guangdong population and to study the morphological characteristics of hyperdivergent skeletal class II females in Guangdong compared with that of normodivergent class I groups.Materials and methodsThe 3dMDface system was used to capture face scans of 160 patients, including 45 normal and 35 hyperdivergent skeletal class II adolescents (aged 11–14 years old) and 45 normal and 35 hyperdivergent skeletal class II adults (aged 18–30 years old). Thirty-two soft tissue landmarks were mapped, and 21 linear, 10 angular and 17 ratio measurements were obtained by 3dMDvultus analysis software. Data were assessed with a t-test of two independent samples between the normal adolescent and adult groups and between the normal and hyperdivergent skeletal class II groups.ResultsThe linear measurements of the Guangdong adult females were larger than those of the adolescents in both Class I and Class II groups. However, the angular and ratio measurements had no significant difference. The vertical linear measurements were higher and the sagittal and transverse linear measurements were smaller in the hyperdivergent class II group (p < 0.05). The soft tissue ANB angle, chin-lip angle, and mandibular angle were significantly larger and the soft tissue facial convexity angle and nasal convexity angle were significantly smaller in the hyperdivergent class II group (p < 0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences in the ratio measurements between the hyperdivergent class II groups and the control groups (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe three-dimensional facial morphology of Guangdong adolescent and adult females was acquired. The facial soft tissue measurements of the adults were higher in the three dimensions except for the facial convexity and proportional relationships which were similar, suggesting that the growth pattern remained the same. The three-dimensional facial soft tissue features of hyperdivergent skeletal class II were characterized by the terms “long, convex, and narrow”. Three-dimensional facial measurements can reflect intrinsic hard tissue characteristics.

Quantifying the three-dimensional facial morphology of the laboratory rat with a focus on the vibrissae.

The morphology of an animal’s face will have large effects on the sensory information it can acquire. Here we quantify the arrangement of cranial sensory structures of the rat, with special emphasis on the mystacial vibrissae (whiskers). Nearly all mammals have vibrissae, which are generally arranged in rows and columns across the face. The vibrissae serve a wide variety of important behavioral functions, including navigation, climbing, wake following, anemotaxis, and social interactions. To date, however, there are few studies that compare the morphology of vibrissal arrays across species, or that describe the arrangement of the vibrissae relative to other facial sensory structures. The few studies that do exist have exploited the whiskers’ grid-like arrangement to quantify array morphology in terms of row and column identity. However, relying on whisker identity poses a challenge for comparative research because different species have different numbers and arrangements of whiskers. The present work introduces an approach to quantify vibrissal array morphology regardless of the number of rows and columns, and to quantify the array’s location relative to other sensory structures. We use the three-dimensional locations of the whisker basepoints as fundamental parameters to generate equations describing the length, curvature, and orientation of each whisker. Results show that in the rat, whisker length varies exponentially across the array, and that a hard limit on intrinsic curvature constrains the whisker height-to-length ratio. Whiskers are oriented to “fan out” approximately equally in dorsal-ventral and rostral-caudal directions. Quantifying positions of the other sensory structures relative to the whisker basepoints shows remarkable alignment to the somatosensory cortical homunculus, an alignment that would not occur for other choices of coordinate systems (e.g., centered on the midpoint of the eyes). We anticipate that the quantification of facial sensory structures, including the vibrissae, will ultimately enable cross-species comparisons of multi-modal sensing volumes.

3 正常咬合者における咬合力および下顎骨形態と三次元的顔面形態との関連について(第511回 大阪歯科学会例会)

3 正常咬合者における咬合力および下顎骨形態と三次元的顔面形態との関連について(第511回 大阪歯科学会例会)

Relationship between three-dimensional facial morphology and craniofacial morphology in normal occlusion

Relationship between three-dimensional facial morphology and craniofacial morphology in normal occlusion

Anthropometric Study of Three-Dimensional Facial Morphology in Malay Adults.

ObjectivesTo establish the three-dimensional (3D) facial soft tissue morphology of adult Malaysian subjects of the Malay ethnic group; and to determine the morphological differences between the genders, using a non-invasive stereo-photogrammetry 3D camera.Material and MethodsOne hundred and nine subjects participated in this research, 54 Malay men and 55 Malay women, aged 20–30 years old with healthy BMI and with no adverse skeletal deviation. Twenty-three facial landmarks were identified on 3D facial images captured using a VECTRA M5-360 Head System (Canfield Scientific Inc, USA). Two angular, 3 ratio and 17 linear measurements were identified using Canfield Mirror imaging software. Intra- and inter-examiner reliability tests were carried out using 10 randomly selected images, analyzed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was carried out to investigate morphologic differences between genders.ResultsICC scores were generally good for both intra-examiner (range 0.827–0.987) and inter-examiner reliability (range 0.700–0.983) tests. Generally, all facial measurements were larger in men than women, except the facial profile angle which was larger in women. Clinically significant gender dimorphisms existed in biocular width, nose height, nasal bridge length, face height and lower face height values (mean difference > 3mm). Clinical significance was set at 3mm.ConclusionFacial soft tissue morphological values can be gathered efficiently and measured effectively from images captured by a non-invasive stereo-photogrammetry 3D camera. Adult men in Malaysia when compared to women had a wider distance between the eyes, a longer and more prominent nose and a longer face.

The relationship between the changes in three-dimensional facial morphology and mandibular movement after orthognathic surgery

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between changes in three-dimensional (3D) facial morphology and mandibular movement after orthognathic surgery. We hypothesized that facial morphology changes after orthognathic surgery exert effects on 3D mandibular movement. Materials and methodsWe conducted a prospective follow-up study of patients who had undergone orthognathic surgical procedures. Three-dimensional facial morphological values were measured from facial CT images before and three months after orthognathic surgery. Three-dimensional maximum mandibular opening (MMO) values of four points (bilateral condylions, infradentale, and pogonion) were also measured using a mandibular movement tracking and simulation system. The predictor variables were changes in morphological parameters divided into two groups (deviated side (DS) or contralateral side (CS) groups), and the outcome variables were changes in the MMO at four points. ResultsWe evaluated 21 subjects who had undergone orthognathic surgical procedures. Alterations in the TFH (total facial height), LFH (lower facial height), CS MBL (mandibular body length), and DS RL (ramus length) were negatively correlated with changes in bilateral condylar movement. The UFH, DS MBL and CS ML (mandibular length) showed correlations with infradentale movement. The CS ML, DS ML, MBL, UFH, and SNB were correlated with pogonion movement. ConclusionThe height of the face is most likely to affect post-operative mandibular movement, and is negatively correlated with movement changes in the condyles, infradentale and pogonion. The changes in CS morphological parameters are more correlated with mandibular movement changes than the DS. The changes in CS MBL and bilateral RL were negatively correlated with condylar movement changes, while the bilateral MBL and CS ML were positively correlated with changes in infradentale and pogonion.

正常咬合者における三次元顔面軟組織形態と顎顔面形態との関連性(大阪歯科大学大学院歯学研究科博士(歯学)学位論文内容要旨および論文審査結果要旨の公表)

正常咬合者における三次元顔面軟組織形態と顎顔面形態との関連性(大阪歯科大学大学院歯学研究科博士(歯学)学位論文内容要旨および論文審査結果要旨の公表)

Evaluation of three-dimensional facial morphology in maxillary protrusion using radius of curvature

Evaluation of three-dimensional facial morphology in maxillary protrusion using radius of curvature

Nasolabial Morphologic Changes After a Le Fort I Osteotomy

After a Le Fort I osteotomy, nasal and labial changes are sometimes undesirable. The aim of this study was to perform a three-dimensional evaluation of the morphologic changes of the nose and lips after a Le Fort I osteotomy with a three-dimensional laser scanner.Twelve female patients who underwent a Le Fort I osteotomy with bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (mean age, 24.2 y) were selected. Three-dimensional facial morphology was measured immediately after surgery and 6 months after surgery with a three-dimensional laser scanner. Analysis of the three-dimensional data was performed with three-dimensional image analyzing software. The evaluation was performed by (1) linear and angular analyses of landmarks, (2) three-dimensional curvature, and (3) visual qualitative analysis using superimposing mapping images. The results were compared control with data taken from volunteers (mean age, 24.5 y).Lateral expansion of nasal alae was commonly observed after surgery. The labial changes were mainly due to movements of the jawbone, and obvious flattening was not detected in this study. There was no relationship between the nasal changes and maxillary advancement.The nasal morphologic changes after a Le Fort I osteotomy consist mainly of a widening of the nasal alae caused by the release of the muscle insertion and their retraction. This change was not influenced by the direction of maxillary movements.

正常咬合者における咬合力および下顎骨形態と三次元的顔面形態との関連について(大阪歯科大学大学院歯学研究科博士(歯学)学位論文内容要旨および論文審査結果要旨の公表)

正常咬合者における咬合力および下顎骨形態と三次元的顔面形態との関連について(大阪歯科大学大学院歯学研究科博士(歯学)学位論文内容要旨および論文審査結果要旨の公表)

Relationship between occlusal force, mandibular morphology and three-dimensional facial morphology in normal occlusion

Relationship between occlusal force, mandibular morphology and three-dimensional facial morphology in normal occlusion

Discriminating Power of Localized Three-Dimensional Facial Morphology

Many genetic syndromes involve a facial gestalt that suggests a preliminary diagnosis to an experienced clinical geneticist even before a clinical examination and genotyping are undertaken. Previously, using visualization and pattern recognition, we showed that dense surface models (DSMs) of full face shape characterize facial dysmorphology in Noonan and in 22q11 deletion syndromes. In this much larger study of 696 individuals, we extend the use of DSMs of the full face to establish accurate discrimination between controls and individuals with Williams, Smith-Magenis, 22q11 deletion, or Noonan syndromes and between individuals with different syndromes in these groups. However, the full power of the DSM approach is demonstrated by the comparable discriminating abilities of localized facial features, such as periorbital, perinasal, and perioral patches, and the correlation of DSM-based predictions and molecular findings. This study demonstrates the potential of face shape models to assist clinical training through visualization, to support clinical diagnosis of affected individuals through pattern recognition, and to enable the objective comparison of individuals sharing other phenotypic or genotypic properties.

Three-dimensional facial morphology, following primary cleft lip repair using the triangular flap with or without rotation advancement

Introduction: There are numerous methods of repairing a cleft lip. In our institution, two methods have been used for primary lip repair, the triangular flap method, and the rotation-advancement plus small triangular flap method. The purpose of this study was to compare postsurgical anthropometric results following these two surgical methods. Patients: Twenty children with a unilateral complete cleft lip, alveolus and palate (UCLAP) were selected for this study. Ten underwent primary lip repair by the triangular flap method (Triangular Group), and the other 10 underwent repair by the rotation-advancement plus small triangular flap method (Rotation Group). Method: They were documented with a three-dimensional optical scanner, and analysed with computer-aided anthropometric method reported previously (Comput. Methods Programs 58: 159–173, 1999a; J. Cranio-Maxillofac Surg 27: 345–353, 1999b). Results: The shapes of the nose and nostril were a little better in the Rotation Group. However, in the Rotation Group, differences between good and poor cases were more extreme than in the Triangular Group. The shape of Cupid's bow was good shortly after surgery in the Triangular Group. A good shape of Cupid's bow was also obtained in the Rotation Group, but the improvement was more delayed. On the non-cleft side, the length of Cupid's bow was more extended in the Triangular Group. Certain deformities were common to both groups, such as deviation of the columella and a flattened ala on the cleft side. Conclusion: Rotation-advancement plus the small triangular flap method was thought to produce somewhat better results, however, further improvements in the technique are needed. Copyright 2002 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.