Division of Plastic Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, MEB 506, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010 Mar;125(3):873-8. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181cb613d.
Increasingly, third-party insurers deny coverage to patients with posttraumatic and congenital facial deformities because these are not seen as "functional." Recent facial transplants have demonstrated that severely deformed patients are willing to undergo potentially life-threatening surgery in search of a normal physiognomy. Scant quantitative research exists that objectively documents appearance as a primary "function" of the face. This study was designed to establish a population-based definition of the functions of the human face, rank importance of the face among various anatomical areas, and determine the risk value the average person places on a normal appearance.
Voluntary adult subjects (n = 210) in three states aged 18 to 75 years were recruited using a quota sampling technique. Subjects completed study questionnaires of demography and bias using the Gamble Chance of Death Questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.
The face ranked as the most important anatomical area for functional reconstruction. Appearance was the fifth most important function of the face, after breathing, sight, speech, and eating. Normal facial appearance was rated as very important for one to be a functioning member of American society (p = 0.01) by 49 percent. One in seven subjects (13 percent) would accept a 30 to 45 percent risk of death to obtain a "normal" face.
Normal appearance is a primary function of the face, based on a large, culturally diverse population sample across the lifespan. Normal appearance ranks above smell and expression as a function. Restoration of facial appearance is ranked the most important anatomical area for repair. Normal facial appearance is very important for one to be a functional member of American society.
越来越多的第三方保险公司拒绝为创伤后和先天性面部畸形患者提供保险，因为这些畸形不被视为“功能性”。最近的面部移植手术表明，严重畸形的患者愿意接受潜在危及生命的手术，以寻求正常的容貌。目前几乎没有定量研究客观记录容貌是面部的主要“功能”之一。本研究旨在建立一个基于人群的面部功能定义，对各种解剖区域的重要性进行排名，并确定普通人对面部正常外观的重视程度。
本研究使用配额抽样技术，招募了来自三个州的年龄在 18 至 75 岁之间的 210 名自愿成年受试者。受试者使用 Gamble Chance of Death Questionnaire 和 Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale 完成了关于人口统计学和偏见的研究问卷。
面部被评为功能重建最重要的解剖区域。容貌是面部的第五大重要功能，仅次于呼吸、视力、言语和进食。有 49%的受访者认为，拥有正常的面部外观对于一个人成为美国社会正常运转的成员非常重要（p=0.01）。七分之一的受访者（13%）愿意承担 30%至 45%的死亡风险来获得“正常”的面部外观。
基于跨生命周期的大量、文化多样化的人群样本，正常容貌是面部的主要功能之一。容貌在功能上高于嗅觉和表情。恢复面部容貌是修复最重要的解剖区域。正常的面部外观对于一个人成为美国社会正常运转的成员非常重要。
