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Three-Dimensional Geometric Morphometry of Facial Soft Tissue Changes After Bilateral Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy
Safieh Al Bougha1, Hiroyuki Nakano2, Kousuke Yasuda3
1Department of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
|December 8, 2021
Summary
Geometric morphometry (GM) effectively assessed facial soft tissue changes after orthognathic surgery. This method distinguished surgical alterations in lower facial height and chin position from natural variations.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial surgery
- Medical imaging analysis
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Orthognathic surgery aims to correct jaw deformities.
- Assessing soft tissue changes post-surgery is crucial for outcomes.
- Geometric morphometry (GM) offers a quantitative approach to analyze shape variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of geometric morphometry (GM) in quantifying facial soft tissue alterations following orthognathic surgery.
- To differentiate surgery-induced changes from inherent morphological variations.
Main Methods:
- Computed tomography (CT) scans of 27 skeletal class III patients before and 6 months after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy were analyzed.
- A control group of 27 skeletal class I volunteers was included.
- Three-dimensional (3D) models were generated and analyzed using GM and principal component (PC) analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in facial soft tissue morphology were identified in the first two principal components (PCs).
- PC1 indicated variations in lower facial height, while PC2 represented changes in the anterior-posterior chin position.
- Post-operative analysis revealed decreased lower facial height and posterior movement of the chin and lower lip.
Conclusions:
- Geometric morphometry is a successful tool for analyzing soft tissue changes after orthognathic surgery.
- GM can effectively isolate surgery-related modifications from interindividual morphological differences.
- This technique aids in the objective evaluation of surgical outcomes.
