[Facial volumes and vertical facial type: a three dimensional comparative study]

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial anatomy
• Anthropometry
• Biometrics

Background:

• Facial morphology varies significantly among individuals.
• Understanding variations in facial cavity volumes is crucial for diagnosing and treating craniofacial abnormalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the volumes of orbital, sinusal, and buccal cavities in young adults with long and short faces.
• To investigate potential differences in facial cavity volumes based on mandibular plane angles.

Main Methods:

• Selected two groups of 30 young adults (18-30 years) with low (GoGn-SN ≤ 28°) and high (GoGn-SN ≥ 36°) mandibular plane angles.
• Measured orbital, sinusal, and buccal cavity volumes using CT scans and AMIRA software.
• Performed statistical analysis with Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Student's t-tests (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found in the total volumes of facial cavities between long- and short-faced subjects.
• The ratio of nasal cavity volume to total facial cavity volume was significantly smaller in the short-face group.

Conclusions:

• A compensatory growth phenomenon may exist to maintain constant facial cavity volumes despite variations in vertical growth.
• These findings suggest that facial structure adaptations occur to balance vertical growth dimensions.