Page 550 - Read Online

Page 4 of 16 Tanikawa Plast Aesthet Res 2020;7:48 I http://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2020.136

Figure 1. A schematic illustration of the wire mesh fitting (Step 0), the generation of averaged faces (Step 1), and their statistical
analysis (Step 2)

Samples
Application of the system to patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate
To demonstrate the applicability of the system, one Japanese patient with unilateral cleft lip and palate
(UCLP) (example case) was selected from the patients who visited our department to undergo orthognathic
bimaxillary surgery (Le Fort I maxillary surgery and bilateral sagittal split osteotomy, Figure 2). The details
[20]
of the treatment have been described elsewhere .

Morphological characteristics of the faces of patients with UCLP
Japanese patients with a repaired UCLP (Cleft group, n = 60; mean age, 22.0 ± 5.0 years; male, n = 36;
female, n = 24) and healthy adults with a straight-type facial profile with normal occlusion (Control group:
n = 200; mean age, 25.4 ± 5.3 years; male, n = 100; female, n = 100) were enrolled in the present study. The
[21]
Control group samples were the same as those used in the previous study . The inclusion criteria for the
Cleft group were as follows: UCLP, patients who visited the orthodontic department, Osaka University
Dental Hospital, during 2011-2015; age 15-37 years; positive overjet (i.e., most patients were in the post-
treatment “retention” period); no facial paralysis; body mass index, 18.50-24.99; and no maxillofacial
plastic surgery in the past six months. A written informed consent form was distributed to and signed by
all participants.

Data acquisition
The subjects were asked to sit on a fixed chair with a natural head position without head support. Facial
images at rest were recorded once with a 3D image capturing device (3-DMDcranial System, 3-DMD,
Atlanta, GA, USA). This data acquisition was conducted once for each patient. For an example case to show
the pre- and post-treatment changes, 3D images were acquired three months before and six months after
treatment.