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Updated: Nov 1, 2025
Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus
Published on: November 6, 2014
Quantifying Pediatric Facial Palsy: : Using Digital Image Correlation to Objectively Characterize Pediatric Facial
Brian L Chang1, Anthony J Wilson2, Fares Samra2
1Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Objective:
This study introduces digital image correlation (DIC) as a novel technology to objectively quantify pediatric facial symmetry.
Design:
Descriptive cohort study of patients' facial symmetry as measured by DIC.
Setting:
Academic tertiary care hospital.
Patients:
9 of 12 identified facial palsy and 13 of 26 identified control subjects participated.
Interventions:
DIC was used to quantify facial strain and symmetry as patients made the 5 standard Sunnybrook facial expressions. Each subject was evaluated according to the Sunnybrook scale by 4 evaluators, 3 plastic surgeons, and 1 occupational therapist.
Main Outcome Measure:
The percentage asymmetry values were calculated and compared between the facial palsy and control groups using both DIC and Sunnybrook.
Results:
Using DIC, facial palsy subjects had 32.99% asymmetry compared with 14.84% in controls (P < .01). Using Sunnybrook, facial palsy subjects had 24.11% asymmetry compared to 3.87% in controls (P < .01). The 2 metrics were positively correlated (P < .01). There was significant variability among the Sunnybrook evaluators (P = .02).
Conclusions:
DIC is a novel technique of objectively quantifying facial motion of the animated face. As surgical and medical approaches toward facial palsy expand, it is essential to have a means to compare results and improve patient outcomes.
