Facial soft tissue thicknesses in the present Czech Population

Area of Science:

• Anthropology
• Forensic Science
• Anatomy

Background:

• Soft facial tissue thickness (FSTT) is crucial for facial reconstruction and identification.
• Understanding FSTT variations across demographics is essential for accurate forensic and clinical applications.
• Previous studies have explored FSTT but comprehensive analysis in contemporary Czech populations is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between soft facial tissue thickness (FSTT) and demographic factors (sex, age) in a contemporary Czech population.
• To analyze facial asymmetry in relation to FSTT.
• To provide normative data for FSTT in the studied population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of head CT scans from 102 adult Czech individuals (ages 21-83).
• Evaluation of 40 soft facial tissue thickness landmarks.
• Statistical analysis including PCA, Hotelling's T(2) test, LDA, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, MANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon's paired test.

Main Results:

• Significant sexual dimorphism in FSTT was most pronounced in the lower face (approx. 80% discriminant power).
• Aging significantly influenced FSTT, predominantly in the upper face, with females showing more age-related changes than males.
• Facial asymmetry was confirmed in seven bilateral landmarks, with a tendency towards the right side in five instances.

Conclusions:

• FSTT exhibits distinct patterns of variation related to sex and age in the Czech population.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering sex and age in forensic facial reconstruction and anthropological studies.
• The study provides valuable data on facial asymmetry and its relationship with FSTT.