Nasolabial symmetry and esthetics in cleft lip and palate: analysis of 3D facial images

Desmedt, Dries J; Maal, Thomas J; Kuijpers, Mette A; Bronkhorst, Ewald M; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie; Fudalej, Piotr (2015). Nasolabial symmetry and esthetics in cleft lip and palate: analysis of 3D facial images. Clinical oral investigations, 19(8), pp. 1833-1842. Springer 10.1007/s00784-015-1445-0

Preview

Text Nasolabial symmetry and esthetics.pdf - Published Version Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (565kB) | Preview

OBJECTIVES

To determine the relationship between nasolabial symmetry and esthetics in subjects with orofacial clefts.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighty-four subjects (mean age 10 years, standard deviation 1.5) with various types of nonsyndromic clefts were included: 11 had unilateral cleft lip (UCL); 30 had unilateral cleft lip and alveolus (UCLA); and 43 had unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate (UCLAP). A 3D stereophotogrammetric image of the face was taken for each subject. Symmetry and esthetics were evaluated on cropped 3D facial images. The degree of asymmetry of the nasolabial area was calculated based on all 3D data points using a surface registration algorithm. Esthetic ratings of various elements of nasal morphology were performed by eight lay raters on a 100 mm visual analog scale. Statistical analysis included ANOVA tests and regression models.

RESULTS

Nasolabial asymmetry increased with growing severity of the cleft (p = 0.029). Overall, nasolabial appearance was affected by nasolabial asymmetry; subjects with more nasolabial asymmetry were judged as having a less esthetically pleasing nasolabial area (p < 0.001). However, the relationship between nasolabial symmetry and esthetics was relatively weak in subjects with UCLAP, in whom only vermilion border esthetics was associated with asymmetry.

CONCLUSIONS

Nasolabial symmetry assessed with 3D facial imaging can be used as an objective measure of treatment outcome in subjects with less severe cleft deformity. In subjects with more severe cleft types, other factors may play a decisive role.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Assessment of nasolabial symmetry is a useful measure of treatment success in less severe cleft types.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

147 since deposited on 08 Mar 2016
50 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item