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UCSQ Method Applied on 3D Photogrammetry: Non-Invasive Objective Differentiation Between Synostotic and Positional
Sophia A J Kronig1, Otto D M Kronig1, Henri A Vrooman2
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Objective:
Objective differentiation between unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS) and positional posterior plagiocephaly (PPP) based on 3D photogrammetry according to Utrecht Cranial Shape Quantificator (UCSQ).
Design:
Retrospective study.
Setting:
Primary craniofacial center.
Patients, Participants:
Thirty-two unoperated patients (17 UCS; 15 PPP) (age < 1 year).
Interventions:
Extraction of variables from sinusoid curves derived using UCSQ: asymmetry ratio forehead and occiput peak, ratio of gradient forehead and occiput peak, location forehead and occiput peak.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Variables, derived using 3D photogrammetry, were analyzed for differentiation between UCS and PPP.
Results:
Frontal peak was shifted to the right side of the head in left-sided UCS (mean x-value 207 [192-220]), and right-sided PPP (mean x-value 210 [200-216]), and to the left in right-sided UCS (mean x-value 161 [156-166]), and left-sided PPP (mean x-value 150 [144-154]). Occipital peak was significantly shifted to the right side of the head in left-sided PPP (mean x-value 338 [336-340]) and to the left in right-sided PPP (mean x-value 23 [14-32]). Mean x-value of occipital peak was 9 (354-30) in left- and 2 (350-12) in right-sided UCS. Calculated ratio of gradient of the frontal peak is, in combination with the calculated asymmetry ratio of the frontal peak, a distinctive finding.
Conclusions:
UCSQ objectively captures shape of synostotic and positional plagiocephaly using 3D photogrammetry, we therefore developed a suitable method to objectively differentiate UCS from PPP using radiation-free methods.

