Kau Chung How, Richmond Stephen
Orthodontics, 3D Imaging Facility, University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Orthodontics, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2008 Dec;134(6):751-60. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2007.01.037.
The developing face is of interest to orthodontists, especially if orthodontic treatment can influence the outcome of facial growth. New 3-dimensional (3D) modalities have enabled clinicians to better understand the facial changes in a developing child.
Fifty-nine children with normal body mass indexes were evaluated with a previously validated 3D laser imaging device over a 2-year period. Surface changes were evaluated on normal and average faces. These changes were seen as mean surface changes and color maps.
The results suggest that the surface areas of change in average faces were generally downward and forward with respect to the nose and soft-tissue nasion. The lips also translated in a downward direction as the nose grew, and there was a general increase in the vertical dimension. Some subjects were in the "great changes" category, boys significantly more so than girls.
The following conclusions can be made from this 3D study of changes of facial morphology in children: (1) surface changes are greater in boys than in girls; (2) differences in the timing of surface changes in boys and girls are clinically significant, with boys exhibiting more changes later; (3) positive surface changes occur in the nose, brows, lips, and vertical dimensions of the face; (4) the eyes deepen, and the cheeks become flatter; and (5) 3D imaging is a useful tool in analyzing changes to the face over time.
发育中的面部是正畸医生关注的对象，尤其是正畸治疗是否会影响面部生长的结果。新的三维（3D）技术使临床医生能够更好地了解发育中儿童的面部变化。
在两年时间里，使用先前验证过的3D激光成像设备对59名体重指数正常的儿童进行评估。在正常和平均面部上评估表面变化。这些变化以平均表面变化和彩色地图的形式呈现。
结果表明，平均面部的变化表面积相对于鼻子和软组织鼻根通常是向下和向前的。随着鼻子的生长，嘴唇也向下移动，并且垂直维度总体上有所增加。一些受试者属于“变化较大”类别，男孩比女孩更为明显。
从这项关于儿童面部形态变化的3D研究中可以得出以下结论：（1）男孩的表面变化大于女孩；（2）男孩和女孩表面变化时间的差异具有临床意义，男孩后期变化更多；（3）面部的鼻子、眉毛、嘴唇和垂直维度出现正向表面变化；（4）眼睛变深，脸颊变平；（5）3D成像在分析面部随时间的变化方面是一种有用的工具。
