Measuring progressive soft tissue change with nasoalveolar molding using a three-dimensional system.

Area of Science:

• Craniofacial orthodontics and surgery
• Pediatric plastic surgery
• 3D imaging and analysis

Background:

• Accurate temporal evaluation of soft tissue and skeletal changes is crucial for advancing craniofacial orthodontics and surgery.
• Three-dimensional (3D) imaging offers solutions to challenges in measuring changes in infants with facial clefts.
• Presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) is a common treatment for infants with cleft lip and palate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure progressive 3D changes in nasal form in infants with facial clefts during PNAM.
• To evaluate the efficacy of 3D photography for monitoring nasal changes during PNAM.
• To provide quantitative and qualitative data on nasal soft tissue development in response to PNAM.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 3dMD 3D photographic system to capture serial images of 5 infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate.
• Acquired 3D photographs at 2-week intervals throughout the PNAM treatment period.
• Employed 3dMD Vultus software for quantitative analysis of linear nasal landmarks and qualitative assessment of surface shell changes.

Main Results:

• Observed consistent increases in columellar length on the cleft side across all subjects.
• Noted a decrease in nostril floor on the noncleft side in all infants studied.
• Identified the most significant progressive nasal changes occurring by week 4 of PNAM treatment.

Conclusions:

• The 3dMD 3D photo system combined with Vultus software provides a valuable method for quantifying progressive nasal soft tissue changes in infants undergoing PNAM.
• This approach offers a reliable tool for facial analysis in the context of cleft lip and palate treatment.
• The findings support the use of advanced 3D imaging for monitoring treatment outcomes in pediatric craniofacial patients.