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Background: The facial artery is an important blood vessel responsible for supplying the anterior face. Understanding the branching patterns of the facial artery plays a crucial role in various medical specialties such as plastic surgery, dermatology, and oncology. This knowledge contributes to improving the success rate of facial reconstruction and aesthetic procedures. However, debate continues regarding the classification of facial artery branching patterns in the existing literature. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive anatomical study, in which we dissected 102 facial arteries from 52 embalmed and formaldehyde-fixed Vietnamese cadavers at the Anatomy Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results: Our investigation revealed eight distinct termination points and identified 35 combinations of branching patterns, including seven arterial branching patterns. These termination points included the inferior labial artery, superior labial artery, inferior alar artery, lateral nasal artery, angular artery typical, angular artery running along the lower border of the orbicularis oculi muscle, forehead branch, duplex, and short course (hypoplastic). Notably, the branching patterns of the facial artery displayed marked asymmetry between the left and right sides within the same cadaver. Conclusion: The considerable variation observed in the branching pattern and termination points of the facial artery makes it challenging to establish a definitive classification system for this vessel. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an anatomical map summarizing the major measurements and geometric features of the facial artery. Surgeons and medical professionals involved in facial surgery and procedures must consider the detailed anatomy and relative positioning of the facial artery to minimize the risk of unexpected complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic odontology is a branch of forensic sciences that uses the skill of a dentist in personal identification during mass calamities, sexual assault, and child abuse to name a few. Forensic odontology is an evolving science and has a greater scope of development. Recent advances in the field of genetics and molecular biology have contributed to the rapid growth of forensic odontology. In case of a crime scene, forensic odontologists play a major role in investigating and interpreting dental evidence. Forensic odontologists utilize the knowledge of dentistry in bite mark analysis, fixation of identity in mass disasters, and age estimation. Thus, the duty and responsibility of forensic odontologists has increased in recent years. Therefore, practicing dentists and dental students should be made aware of the available newer technologies and its use in forensic dentistry. This article gives an overview of recent advances used in identification in forensic dentistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of an unknown person by facial reconstruction, gender, and age determination is one of the duties of the forensic sciences. In some cases, the skull and mandible cannot be obtained together. In this case, facial reconstruction of the skull without a mandible becomes a serious problem. The aim of our study was to design the mandible suitable for the anatomic structure of the skull by first determining the age group and gender of the skull for skulls without mandible. Our study was carried out on 3D-CT images provided in Bursa Uludag University Radiology Department. Individuals were divided into five age groups considering tooth and bone development. Our study was conducted on 282 3D-BT images. Twenty-three variables on the mandible and 54 variables on the skull were examined. SPSS 20.0 was performed for the developing the regression formulas, discriminant function analysis, and descriptive and comparative statistics. Comparative and descriptive statistical findings between sexes and age groups are presented in tables. Discriminant function analyzes were performed for age group and gender determination. Regression formulas were developed for the redesign of the missing mandible suitable for the skull anatomy. We believe that our thesis will be useful for forensic scientists and anthropologists with the regression formulas that will design the mandible suitable for the anatomy of the skulls without the mandible and age group determination by discriminant analysis method with morphometric data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is a normal face? A fundamental task for the facial reconstructive surgeon is to answer that question as it pertains to any given individual. Accordingly, it would be important to be able to place the facial appearance of a patient with congenital or acquired deformity numerically along their own continuum of normality, and to measure any surgical changes against such a personalized benchmark. This has not previously been possible. We have solved this problem by designing a computerized model that produces realistic, normalized versions of any given facial image, and objectively measures the perceptual distance between the raw and normalized facial image pair. The model is able to faithfully predict human scoring of facial normality. We believe this work represents a paradigm shift in the assessment of the human face, holding great promise for development as an objective tool for surgical planning, patient education, and as a means for clinical outcome measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial reconstructions have gained importance in museum exhibitions and in forensic sciences in recent years. These objects aim to represent faces from the past and present to elicit recognition in the public. Even though the face is a highly individual object, its reconstruction depends on the application of a number of general categories. One of the most central is race. When reconstructing a face, experts carry out a particular way of seeing – a skilled vision – that interprets visible differences in bodies as racial differences. This makes race a crucial component in the process of reconstructing a face, even though experts try to downplay its importance and rarely consider race to be biologically real. In addition, experts introduce alternative naming strategies, which nevertheless do not overcome the logic of understanding skull shapes and facial traits as markers of racial difference. These practices involve a paradox: a tension between practicing race and disavowing it. In other words, experts attempt to 'make race absent,' but with little success. As a consequence, the reconstruction of faces reiterates a racial perspective on human differences, as museums and forensic investigations present these race-based images to the public. Therefore, looking closer at facial reconstruction helps to understanding the complex ways that race arises in contemporary anthropology and the biosciences, as well as in public and social spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a project of facial reconstruction of human remains from an archaeological excavation that took place in 1994 in the inner city of Cape Town, South Africa. The initiators of the project envisioned it as an opportunity to translate the power of scientific knowledge to a lay audience, conveying a postapartheid, postracial vision of unity in diversity. However, this translation failed, and the faces got stuck in limbo. I demonstrate how the logic of face resisted a linear translation whereby past could be juxtaposed with present, death with "bringing back to life," or slavery, colonialism, and apartheid with a new nonracial democracy. Instead, all these different temporalities were collapsed in the practice of face‐making and the politics surrounding it. I argue that it is important to pay attention to such failed translation as an avenue to understanding race as an ongoing and troubling matter of concern. [facial reconstruction, race trouble, Indigenous human remains, postapartheid South Africa] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic facial reconstruction aids in the process of human identification by facial recognition. The nose plays an important role in this process; however, its soft tissues wither away during cadaveric decomposition. There are few studies in the area of facial recognition of the Brazilian population, especially concerning Brazilian nasal prediction guides. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the angle formed by the tangents drawn from the rhinion and prosthion points (nose tip) is equal to 90°, as proposed by the pioneer study by Tedeschi-Oliveira et al. (2016). It is important to highlight that this is the only method to date developed to predict the nasal tip in Brazilians, and has not yet been tested in other populations. Images of computed tomography scans of 228 individuals (171 females and 57 males) were screened according to the same criteria used by the authors of the primary study. The images were analyzed using the Horos® program, version 1.1.7 - 64 bit. The mean angle studied was about 90°, and any difference between this mean and the real angle measured did not significantly compromise the accuracy of the nose tip location. The findings tested in the present study corroborate the hypothesis investigated by Tedeschi-Oliveira et. al. Therefore, we suggest that the method be used in forensic practice to estimate nose tips in Brazilians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New methods of forensic sciences (i.e., computerized facial approximation and externally visible characteristics prediction) were combined in 2017 to estimate the facial appearance of a soldier killed in action during World War I. Eighty-four employees of the Forensic and Criminal Intelligence Agency of the French Gendarmerie were asked to compare the resulting facial approximation to a historical picture of 15 soldiers that included the target soldier. A factorial correspondence analysis demonstrated that one soldier in the photograph was preferentially chosen by the participants in accordance with the family. Even if facial recognition is subjective, the combination of these two forensic techniques demonstrates an efficient way to establish a good portrait, optimizing the chances of recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic facial approximation is an auxiliary method for human identification and allows facial recognition. The midface, that includes the nose, is vital for the recognition of a familiar face. The purpose of this study was to set hard tissue parameters to estimate nasal width, to test the method to estimate nasal width of Brazilians, and to analyze the relationship between nasal profile and facial type. A total of 246 computed tomography scans (183 females and 63 males) of adults were analyzed in Horos. Bone tissue measurements and facial type classification were performed on the skull scan. Nasal profile morphology was accessed through the tool 3D surface rendering. There was a difference around 3 mm from real to predicted nose through the method to estimate nasal width in Brazilians. So, the method may be used in forensic practice. Straight nose was associated with long face type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article challenges two orthodoxies concerning Dunfermline's medieval church and abbey. It argues that David I and Malcolm IV were buried not with Robert Bruce, his queen, and Alexander III, but with Queen Margaret (died 1093), her husband, three of David's brothers, and Alexander III's first wife, as the earliest royal burial cluster. This argument dovetails with a reappraisal of the evolution of the medieval abbey. It is concluded that when dedicated in 1150, David's abbey was largely coextensive with his mother's church, only achieving cruciform status by 1180 and Queen Margaret's first translation. Reassigning David I and Malcom IV to another burial cluster strengthens the case for identifying the incumbent of the tomb discovered and excavated at Dunfermline in 1818–19 as Robert Bruce, as also argued for in the two other articles in this series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Moravia (Czech Republic) has provided numerous Upper Palaeolithic—Gravettian sites (33–22 kyr BP) with a great deal of human skeletal remains. One such site is the well-known burial of a gracile, 36- to 45-year-old female, found in Dolní Věstonice I in 1949. Palaeopathological examination of the female's skull showed extensive pathological damage with significant asymmetry of the facial area as a result of a traumatic injury in childhood. The goal of this article is to summarise all information and make a virtual reconstruction of the original skull including a facial reconstruction. The condition of the skull from grave DV 3 was generally very poor and fragmentary; it was restored in the 1950s. We used computer tomography (CT) analysis and a 3D scan of the skull. For the 3D reconstruction of the face, we used a method based on prediction rules by G. Lebedinskaya. The results of the new CT analysis confirm an irregular formation of the braincase. For the first time, we can compare the original state of the skull with the reconstruction. On the basis of the results of artistic facial reconstruction, we can present the "real" face of a woman who is 25,000–27,000 years old. This combination of CT and 3D data allowed us to create a new 3D virtual model. Though the facial reconstruction took into account the post-traumatic condition of the woman's face and the asymmetry of the bones is obvious, the degree of asymmetry is subjective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The paradigm shift from two- to three-dimensional imaging has marked the beginning of a new era in diagnosis. Newly developed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) designed specifically to visualize maxillofacial pathologies is being used in forensic investigations also. Facial reconstruction is a specialized forensic technique to identify the deceased from the unknown skull. It is dependent on population-specific facial soft tissue thicknesses. Aims: This study aims to propose the mean dataset of facial soft tissue thickness for South Indian population by utilizing CBCT. It also aims to evaluate the sex and racial differences in the values if any. Settings and Design: This descriptive study was conducted on CBCT scans of South Indians. Materials and Methods: Eighty CBCT scans of South Indian adults aged 18–80 years were selected. Facial soft tissue thickness measurements at 34 craniometric landmarks were carried out. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics was done. Student's t-test estimated the differences of soft tissue thickness between the sexes; bilateral measurements and also racial differences. Tukey's honest significant difference test was used for multiple comparisons among Indian studies. Results: Males had thicker soft tissue than females in most of the landmarks. Differences in the bilateral soft tissue thicknesses were negligible. Indians had thicker facial tissues than the Koreans and CBCT was found efficient in measuring soft tissue thickness. Conclusion: The present study provides facial soft tissue thickness dataset using CBCT which will be useful in forensic facial reconstructions of South Indian population as well as in maxillofacial and plastic reconstructive surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a dermatologic filler commonly used in esthetic procedures. However, it can also be used in more severe cases such as reconstruction of facial traumas. Aims: The aim of this report was to describe the use of PMMA in a nasal reconstruction of a patient victim of an automobilist accident which presented previous rejection of autograft. Patient: A young female patient, 26 y, victim of automobilist accident, with no bone support due to trauma both in the mandibulum and maxilla, presented fracture of several facial bones. Presented rejection of a bone autograft from the skullcap implanted on the nose. In order to harmonize the facial aspect, a nasal fill with PMMA for the anatomic reconstruction of the nose was performed. Results and conclusions: PMMA promoted the recovery of facial and nasal esthetic characteristics of the patient ensuring a satisfactory result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The field of otolaryngology has become the leading specialty in the management of head and neck pathology and trauma. Graduate medical education programs tasked to train military head and neck surgeons within the Department of Defense (DoD) maintain certification by ensuring adequate surgical case volume and training. In recent years, surgical case numbers have declined due to an overall healthy active duty patient population and deployments of residency faculty. As such, a novel initiative between the San Antonio Military Medical Center and the South Texas Veteran's Healthcare system was developed to provide seamless care among active duty service members, dependents, retirees, and veterans. The goal of this study is to review the impact on Otolaryngology Key Indicator Procedures (KIP), as defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), following integration of a Veterans Affairs health care population into a military otolaryngology residency program. Further, we aim to assess the potential secondary benefits of an integrated health care initiative between the DoD and the Veteran's Affairs (VA) systems.Materials and Methods: Otolaryngology key indicator procedures, as defined by the ACGME, were reviewed at an academic military medical center before and after implementation of an ENT Federal Healthcare Consortium integrating care of VA patients at a military hospital. The surgical scheduling system at our institution was queried for cases within the KIP categories of "Head & Neck" and "Otology" from 2011 to 2015.Results: Case data was reviewed from the San Antonio Military Medical Center before (2011-2012) and following integration of VA patient care (2013-2015). A total of 520 "Head & Neck" and 532 "Otology" KIP were performed following development of an ENT Federal Consortium. One hundred and sixty-five KIPs were performed on patients referred from the VA. The range of VA-generated cases contributing to total KIPs for "Head & Neck" and "Otology" ranged from 6.8% to 59.5% and 0% to 18.9% per year.Conclusions: The establishment of a Federal Healthcare Consortium and integration of VA patient population provided a tangible and quantifiable increase in otolaryngology KIPs. Development of a training relationship with VA patients is beneficial in reaching outcome-oriented goals for otolaryngology residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study using three‐dimensional cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of children determined relationships between nasal skeletal and soft tissue measurements and assessed the association with sex, age, and skeletal maturation stage. Following reliability studies, skeletal and soft tissue parameters were measured on coded CBCTs of 73 children (28M:45F;6–13 yoa). Pearson and Mantel correlations were used to analyze associations between skeletal and soft tissues. Partial Mantel correlations were used to study the associations between skeletal and soft tissue, adjusting for sex, age, and skeletal maturation. Linear regression analyses were used to predict soft tissues sizes. Logistic regression was used to study the relationships between soft and skeletal tissue symmetry. Except for nasal aperture width and interalar width, skeletal landmarks best predicted corresponding soft tissue landmarks. Significant positive associations existed between skeletal and soft tissues after adjusting for sex, skeletal maturation, and age. Children's nasal skeletal tissues predicted nasal soft tissue reasonably well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virtual approach in physical and forensic anthropology is increasingly used to further analyze human remains, but also to propose new didactic means for visualization and dissemination of scientific results. Computerized facial approximation (FA) offers an alternative to manual methods, but usually requires a complete facial skeleton to allow for the estimation of the facial appearance of an individual. This paper presents the case of Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer born during the XVIth century, whose remains were reanalyzed at the occasion of a short exhumation in 2010. Cranial remains of Brahe were poorly preserved, with only a partial facial skeleton, and virtual anthropology tools were used to estimate the missing parts of his skull. This 3D restoration was followed by a FA using TIVMI-AFA3D, subsequently textured with graphic tools. The result provided an interesting estimate that was compared with portraits of the astronomer. The impact of the missing data estimation was investigated by performing FAs on 10 complete test subjects and the same 10 subjects after cropping and estimating 50% of the landmarks (reproducing the preservation state of Tycho Brahe's cranial remains). The comparison between the FA based on the complete and incomplete skulls of the same subject produced a visual assessment of the estimation impact on FAs which is relatively low. This procedure is an alternative to manual methods and offers a reproducible estimate of a face based on incomplete cranial remains. Although the case report concerns a historical individual, the robust automatic estimation of missing landmarks followed by a FA has value for forensic caseworks as a support to the identification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a new numerical method for facial reconstruction. The problem is the following: given a dry skull, reconstruct a virtual face that would help in the identification of the subject. The approach combines classical features as the use of a skulls/faces database and more original aspects: (1) an original shape matching method is used to link the unknown skull to the database templates; (2) the final face is seen as an elastic 3D mask that is deformed and adapted onto the unknown skull. In this method, the skull is considered as a whole surface and not restricted to some anatomical landmarks, allowing a dense description of the skull/face relationship. Also, the approach is fully automated. Various results are presented to show its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial reconstruction is one of the most important issues in modern reconstructive surgery. Some defects can't be removed using a simple surgical intervention and the use of allo- and autografts is frequently associated with complications such as tissue incompatibility or excessive traumatization of the donor site [14, 15]. The issue is urgent as development of medical technologies, material sciences and biochemistry makes it possible to create and apply modern bioconstructions. Their properties most closely approximate the bone tissue; they have both osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. The article is aimed at the study of biocompatibility of prototypes of composite with hydroxyapatite and methyl methacrylate for their subsequent use of implants in facial reconstruction. The leading approach to the study was to examine biocompatibility of implants in 15 mature rats divided into 3 groups depending on the composition and used endoprosthesis. The ratio between methyl methacrylate and hydroxyapatite in the implant was 70 to 30 in the first group; 50 to 50 in the second group, and 30 to 70 in the third group. The endoprostheses were placed over the mandible under an experiment. The study demonstrated that the ratio of 30:70 (methyl methacrylate/hydroxyapatite) was the optimal composition for the best mechanical and biological features. No adverse reactions were found in the animals of the studied group. The article can be useful for the reconstruction with hydroxyapatite and methyl methacrylate implants to replace the facial defects such as defects of the orbit, palate, calvaria, jaw, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract BACKGROUND. Excision of facial cutaneous carcinomas requires further reconstruction in a combined team with plastic surgeons. Among the traditional risk factors, the unprotected occupational exposure to sunlight can be identified. Giant masses at the level of the nose are frequently squamous carcinomas in origin. Moreover, repeated tumor trauma favours local-regional and remote extension. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We present step by step the surgical management of an old woman with a nasal mass of 58/36/20 mm. Also, the patient presented right genian tumefaction of approximately 6 months in evolution. RESULTS. The patient was submitted to surgical resection with free margins, leaving a considerable nasal and genian groove defect. Teaming up with the plastic surgeon, we applied complex reconstruction techniques with a satisfactory aesthetic and functional result. The histopathologic diagnosis confirmed our suspicion of an acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma with lymph nodes metastasis. CONCLUSION. Our case exhibited traditional risk factors, living in a rural environment. The tumor degree of aggressiveness was increased by repeated self-inflicted trauma. Late presentation to healthcare services implied complex facial reconstruction for the combined resection of the nasal tip and genian lymph node. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic facial approximation is a technique used to estimate the antemortem facial features of unknown skeletal remains. In recent years, many researchers have reported nasal tip predictions with positive results. However, the morphological nasal features of the skull can vary widely, and it is hard to obtain accurate values using facial approximation techniques. We assumed that these variations are due to an over-dependence on the values obtained from a single distance metric factor in an anatomical area. Measurements were acquired using cephalometric radiographic images obtained from 190 Japanese individuals (90 men, aged 18-36 years and 100 women, aged 18-46 years). Soft tissue and skeletal features were traced onto acetate sheets. The orbitale (Or), porion (Po), and the Frankfurt Horizontal Plane (FHP) were plotted in addition to the rhinion (Rhi), anterior nasal spine (ANS), subnasale (Sn), prosthion, and point-A (A). From these, the following were measured: a length from rhinion to prosthion; b length from rhinion to the intersection of a line perpendicular to the anterior nasal spine; c length from the prosthion to the intersection of a line perpendicular to the anterior nasal spine; g the proportion of d/b; and f the proportion of c/b. A calculation was generated from these measurements and from proportions of a-h, and applied to the samples. An R-squared (RSQ) test and standard error (SE) were used to compare the actual and predicted values. The errors observed between the predicted and actual values were not greater than 5mm in any of the samples; 91.3% and 71.2% of predicted Sn had an error lower than 2.5 and 1.5mm respectively, from the actual. Reliable results were obtained using the method in the present study. In addition, in the process of obtaining the measurements, we found reliable proportional differences between the sexes in the piriform and axillary alveolar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial reconstruction is a technique that aims to reproduce the individual facial characteristics based on interpretation of the skull, with the objective of recognition leading to identification. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the accuracy and recognition level of three-dimensional (3D) computerized forensic craniofacial reconstruction (CCFR) performed in a blind test on open-source software using computed tomography (CT) data from live subjects. Four CCFRs were produced by one of the researchers, who was provided with information concerning the age, sex, and ethnic group of each subject. The CCFRs were produced using Blender® with 3D models obtained from the CT data and templates from the MakeHuman® program. The evaluation of accuracy was carried out in CloudCompare, by geometric comparison of the CCFR to the subject 3D face model (obtained from the CT data). A recognition level was performed using the Picasa® recognition tool with a frontal standardized photography, images of the subject CT face model and the CCFR. Soft-tissue depth and nose, ears and mouth were based on published data, observing Brazilian facial parameters. The results were presented from all the points that form the CCFR model, with an average for each comparison between 63% and 74% with a distance -2.5 ≤ x ≤ 2.5 mm from the skin surface. The average distances were 1.66 to 0.33 mm and greater distances were observed around the eyes, cheeks, mental and zygomatic regions. Two of the four CCFRs were correctly matched by the Picasa® tool. Free software programs are capable of producing 3D CCFRs with plausible levels of accuracy and recognition and therefore indicate their value for use in forensic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a science, facial and dental aesthetics is highly complex, the dentist being compelled to effectively exploit his abilities of reconstructing affected tissues, but also cultivate his aesthetic sense. Nowadays, dentists frequently face the patients high expectations, regarding dental structure and facial reconstruction. Most young patients tend to choose their model from the media, while patients over the age of 50 desire to have teeth like those of youth. It should also be noted that there is no concept of „cosmetic dentistry" as the teeth can only be adjusted in corellation to the face and body appearance. Thus, between physiognomy and the general appearance of the body and of the teeth a state of interdependence is in existence. One of the major errors that leads to endangering the quality of dental treatment and to patient dissatisfaction is the way in which the doctor-patient relationship is managed. If a person opts for an aesthetic treatment it is clear that it is facing a low self-esteem, in this case the dentist needing to address the disorder on two coordinates: an objective interpretation involves the sequencing of reconstructing a morphological and functional dentition and and establishing the issues related to patients notion of „beautiful". At the same time, aesthetic dental treatment is based on the personality of the individual, the age, sex and patient's systemic diseases. The notion of „divine proportion" makes possible to perform „perfect" dental works that integrate the facial and somatic features, whose basic characteristics are symmetry, balance, continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demands of applications in virtual reality such as 3D films, virtual human–machine interactions and virtual agents, the analysis of 3D human face is considered to be more and more important as a fundamental step in these tasks. Due to information provided by the additional dimension, 3D facial reconstruction enables aforementioned tasks to be achieved with higher accuracy than those based on 2D facial analysis. The denser the 3D facial model is, the more information it could provide. However, most existing dense 3D facial reconstruction methods require complicated processing and high system cost. To this end, this paper presents a novel method that simplifies the process of dense 3D facial reconstruction by employing only one frame of depth data obtained with an off-the-shelf RGB-D sensor. The proposed method is composed of two main stages: (a) the acquisition of the initial 3D facial point cloud with automatically 3D facial region cropping, and (b) the generating of the dense facial point cloud with RBF-based adaptive 3D point interpolation. Experiments reported in this paper demonstrate the competitive results with real-world data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the relationships between the facial creases and the morphology of the underlying skull for supplementary use during forensic facial reconstruction. The correlation between skull morphology and the patterns of facial creases was obtained using the three-dimensional (3D) skull surface scans from the William Bass skeletal collection at the University of Tennessee, USA, which also provided the related ante-mortem face photographs. Superimposition of the facial crease patterns seen in a face photograph with the related skull image enabled the visual analysis of the correlation between the crease and the skull morphology. Qualitative analysis indicated that the infraorbital crease follows the outline of the orbit in 52% of the subjects, while the nasolabial fold (NLF) relates to the canine fossa in 95% of the subjects. The infraorbital crease and NLF were reconstructed in a blind study using ten 3D surface scan skull models and related face photographs from the Helmer collection available in the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, the University of Dundee, UK. Correct prediction was obtained in six specimens (60%). One inconclusive result was due to poor photograph quality and three inaccurate results showed an overestimation of the NLF strength although the location of the crease manifestation was correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measured the accuracy of traditional and validated newly proposed methods for globe positioning in lateral view. Eighty lateral head cephalograms of adult subjects from Central Europe were taken, and the actual and predicted dimensions were compared. The anteroposterior eyeball position was estimated as the most accurate method based on the proportion of the orbital height ( SEE = 1.9 mm) and was followed by the 'tangent to the iris method' showing SEE = 2.4 mm. The traditional 'tangent to the cornea method' underestimated the eyeball projection by SEE = 5.8 mm. Concerning the superoinferior eyeball position, the results showed a deviation from a central to a more superior position by 0.3 mm, on average, and the traditional method of central positioning of the globe could not be rejected as inaccurate ( SEE = 0.3 mm). Based on regression analyzes or proportionality of the orbital height, the SEE = 2.1 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensic facial reconstruction may be the final option available to draw public attention in cases where the identity of an individual cannot be established by standard identification methods. Two fundamental components of all forensic facial reconstruction techniques are cranial morphology and soft tissue depth databases. The purpose of this study was to extend such databases by providing a complete set of accurate facial soft tissue thickness measurements, acquired from a contemporary adult population from Germany. The material for the study consisted of 320 (160 male, 160 female) anonymised multi-slice computerised tomography (MSCT) scans of individuals drawn from a German population. In Amira®, 3D models of the surfaces of the skull and the facial skin were semi-automatically segmented using calculated thresholds and surface extraction algorithms. Facial soft tissue depth was measured at 10 midline and 28 bilateral anatomical landmarks. The analysis of facial soft tissue thickness versus BMI, sex and age indicated that, at a number of the landmarks, facial soft tissue depth is significantly ( p < 0.05) influenced by all three biometric variables. Facial soft tissue thickness increased with increasing BMI. The differences between males and females were statistically significant ( p < 0.05) for almost all anatomical landmarks with the exception of a few in the region of the nasal root and orbitals. Asymmetry was noted at over half of the bilateral landmarks. The differences between the results from this sample and those obtained from comparable databases contradict the hypothesis that population specificity significantly influences facial soft tissue thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study verified the difference between two methods of forensic facial approximation ( FFA) regarding recognition and resemblance rates. Three-dimensional models of skulls were obtained from computerized tomography ( CT) scans of two subjects (targets). Two manual FFAs were performed for each target, by applying two different guidelines for the facial structures (what we called 'American method' ( AM) and 'Combined method' ( CM)). Unfamiliar assessors evaluated the sculptures by recognition and resemblance tests. The AM was that which allowed more correct responses of recognition and higher resemblance's scores for the male target ( p < 0.001). Regarding guidelines for modeling characteristics of the face, the ones that are practical and easily performed for sculptures, such as the length of the anterior nasal spine multiplied by 3 for nose prediction, may offer better results in terms of resemblance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the multidisciplinary investigation of the head of Nebiri (Museo Egizio, Turin S_5109), Chief of Stables, a high status elite person from the 18th Dynasty involving MDCT, 3D brain surface and facial reconstructions accompanied by a consideration of previously presented chemical analysis of the embalming materials found in fragments of bandages used on the head and viscera (lung) found in one of the four canopic jars. Comparison of the techniques used for the cosmetic treatment of Nebiri with those used in other elite and high status non-royal persons confirms the validity of the use of the term 'high status elite' in the case of Nebiri. This case highlights the importance of using modern forensic techniques both to enhance new technologies of retrospective diagnosis on altered human remains and to increase knowledge of past populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial approximations based on facial soft tissue depth measurement tables often utilize the arithmetic mean as a central tendency estimator. Stephan et al. (J Forensic Sci 2013;58:1439) suggest that the shorth and 75-shormax statistics are better suited to describe the central tendency of non-normal soft tissue depth data, while also accommodating normal distributions. The shorth, 75-shormax, arithmetic mean, and other central tendency estimators were evaluated using a CT-derived facial soft tissue depth dataset. Differences between arithmetic mean and shorth mean for the tissue depths examined ranged from 0 mm to +2.3 mm (average 0.6 mm). Differences between the arithmetic mean plus one standard deviation (to approximate the same data points covered by the 75-shormax) and 75-shormax values ranged from −0.8 mm to +0.7 mm (average 0.2 mm). The results of this research suggest that few practical differences exist across the central tendency point estimators for the evaluated soft tissue depth dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeatability of facial soft tissue thickness measurements at 10 standard anatomical landmarks was evaluated using lateral X-ray images obtained from 50 adult subjects. The intra-and inter-observer error rates were calculated after four practitioners took measurements using Denta Pacs 8.1 software. The results indicated high inter- and intra-observer repeatability, suggesting X-ray images can be used to measure facial soft tissue thicknesses for the purpose of craniofacial reconstruction and superimposition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Due to its central location, the nose plays a prominent role in facial aesthetics. As tastes have shifted and techniques have advanced, the accepted "ideal" appearance and proportions of the nose have evolved over time. By assessing the aesthetics of the nasal dorsum through the use of lines and angles, one can more precisely elucidate a goal for the patient's postoperative nasal shape, which should, in turn, guide the surgeon to execute specific operative maneuvers needed to achieve that contour. In assessing the aesthetics of the nasal dorsum, practitioners calculate and observe aspects such as the paired dorsal aesthetic lines, the nasofrontal angle, and the nasofacial angle. There is also additional consideration given to nasal tip position as this must fit harmoniously with the shape of the dorsum. In contrast to the established aesthetic lines and angles, using nasal geometric polygons for the aesthetic evaluation and development of operative goals in rhinoplasty has recently been described in the literature. Constructed ideals, in the form of proportions, lines, and angles, should be used with caution, as there are many factors to consider in the aesthetic analysis of the nasal dorsum, including ethnic differences, and subjective and changing views of beauty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the insights of Peter Butler, pioneering surgeon and professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Royal Free Hospital and University College London (UCL) in London, England, about his work in facial reconstruction. Topics dinclude the treatments he developed in facial reconstruction, stem cell therapy, and tissue engineering.

A facial soft tissue thickness (FST) database forms the backbone of different facial reconstruction methods. Various studies have identified age, sex and ethnicity as the core factors affecting the FST of an individual. The aims of this study were to explore the changes in FST occurring during the adolescent growth period and to develop the FST database for Pakistani children. The lateral cephalograms of 231 children, aged 9–18 years, were analysed and FST was determined at the 11 midline points. Subjects were divided into five age groups (9–10, 11–12, 13–14, 15–16 and 17–18 years) to evaluate age-related variations in FST. To compare FST between males and females and among different age groups, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used. Moreover, the FST of Pakistani children was compared with those of Japanese and Canadian-Caucasoid children. Significant age-related variations in FST were present at four landmarks in boys and at six landmarks in girls. Marked ethnic differences in FST (>2 mm) were also observed at five landmarks in some of the age groups. These age-related and ethnic variations in FST warrant the use of data of appropriate age groups for a specific population for reliable outcome of facial reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background The facial artery myomucosal (FAMM) island flap is a cheek flap, pedicled on the facial artery and suitable for small to medium-sized reconstructions of the oral cavity and neighboring areas. A novel transposition of the flap to the hypopharynx after laryngectomy is presented in this report. Methods A 58-year-old man, previously irradiated, was laryngopharyngectomized because of a new supraglottic carcinoma. An unexpected need for a flap was solved by tunneling a FAMM island flap lateral to the mandible. The reach and size of the flap were sufficient to close the defect. Results Vitality of the flap was ascertained by fiber endoscopy. No donor-site morbidity was seen. Postoperatively, the patient had a minor stomal fistula with spontaneous healing. Conclusion The pedicled FAMM island flap may be considered for smaller reconstructions of the upper hypopharynx. Accessibility, low donor-site morbidity, and recipient tissue similarity count among the advantages. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: E29-E33, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]