Establishment and Validation of a Standardized Midface Assessment Protocol Using Three-Dimensional...

Area of Science:

• Anthropometry
• 3D Imaging
• Facial Analysis

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry is crucial in anthropometry for clinical and aesthetic applications.
• A standardized 3D protocol for midface assessment was lacking.
• This study aimed to create and validate such a protocol.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a standardized 3D anthropometric protocol for the midface region.
• To assess the reliability and reproducibility of the developed protocol.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-eight female and nine male participants (74 midfaces) were included.
• Two sets of 3D facial images were acquired per participant.
• 34 anatomical landmarks defined 13 midface zones for 36 measurements (surface area, volumetric, angular, linear).

Main Results:

• The protocol demonstrated high reliability across all assessments.
• Low measurement error and excellent agreement were observed.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients consistently exceeded 0.95, indicating strong reproducibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D stereophotogrammetry protocol is reliable and reproducible for midface anthropometric evaluation.
• This protocol can be applied in clinical settings for facial morphology assessment, surgical planning, and outcome evaluation.