The adolescent growth spurt in the soft tissues of the face

The faces of 8 boys and 8 girls were recorded annually by short base stereophotogrammetry. The output for the 16 children consisted of 158 life-size facial maps allowing the serial three-dimensional measurement of 13 soft tissue facial parameters. Three of these parameters (1, 2 and 3) measured the width of the palpebral fissures and the intercanthal distance and were therefore related to the eyes, and 'neural' in character. The remaining 10 parameters (4-13) measured facial characteristics. Standing height was also recorded. The values for each characteristic were age-corrected. Means for the different soft tissue facial parameters are reported for ages 9-16 years. The original individual readings were then three-point smoothed and related first to the year in which peak growth was achieved in standing height, second to the two years preceding and, third, to the two years following that year. The means for the 10 facial parameter growth velocities extending below the eyes showed an adolescent growth spurt related to that in standing height, although not necessarily coinciding with that year. Of the 10 parameters, 5 peaked in PHV year, 3 in -1 PHV year and 2 in +1 PHV year. The facial parameters at eye level, which are really 'neural' parameters, showed much smaller growth velocities and no spurt.