Facial Surface Anthropometric Features and Measurements With an Emphasis on Rhinoplasty

Abstract

Background: Facial features and measurements are utilized to analyze patients' faces for various reasons, including surgical planning, scientific communications, patient-surgeon communications, and post-surgery evaluations.

Objectives: There are numerous descriptions regarding these features and measurements scattered throughout the literature, and the authors did not encounter a current compilation of these parameters in the medical literature.

Methods: A narrative literature review of the published medical literature for facial measurements used for facial analysis in rhinoplasty was conducted through the electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar, along with a citation search.

Results: A total of 61 facial features were identified: 45 points (25 bilateral, 20 unilateral), 5 lines (3 bilateral, 2 unilateral), 8 planes, and 3 areas.A total of 122 measurements were identified: 48 distances (6 bilateral, 42 unilateral), 57 angles (13 bilateral, 44 unilateral), and 17 ratios. Supplemental figures were created to depict all features and measurements utilizing a frontal, lateral, or basal view of the face.

Conclusions: This paper provides the most comprehensive and current compilation of facial measurements to date. The authors believe this compilation will guide further developments (methodologies and software tools) for analyzing nasal structures and assessing the objective outcomes of facial surgeries, in particular rhinoplasty. Moreover, it will improve communication as a reference for facial measurements of facial surface anthropometry, in particular rhinoplasty.