A Three-Dimensional Statistical Average Skull. Issue 5 (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Teshima, Tara Lynn; Patel, Vaibhav; Mainprize, James G.; Edwards, Glenn; Antonyshyn, Oleh M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of craniofacial surgery. Volume 26:Issue 5(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Facial bones -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Skull -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Face -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Surgery, Plastic -- Periodicals; 617.52
• DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000001869
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1049-2275

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Purpose:</title> <p>The utilization of three-dimensional modeling technology in craniomaxillofacial surgery has grown exponentially during the last decade. Future development, however, is hindered by the lack of a normative three-dimensional anatomic dataset and a statistical mean three-dimensional virtual model. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a protocol to generate a statistical three-dimensional virtual model based on a normative dataset of adult skulls.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Method:</title> <p>Two hundred adult skull CT images were reviewed. The average three-dimensional skull was computed by processing each CT image in the series using thin-plate spline geometric morphometric protocol. Our statistical average three-dimensional skull was validated by reconstructing patient-specific topography in cranial defects. The experiment was repeated 4 times. In each case, computer-generated cranioplasties were compared directly to the original intact skull. The errors describing the difference between the prediction and the original were calculated.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results:</title> <p>A normative database of 33 adult human skulls was collected. Using 21 anthropometric landmark points, a protocol for three-dimensional skull landmarking and data reduction was developed and a statistical average three-dimensional skull was generated. Our results show the root mean square error (RMSE) for restoration of a known defect using the native best match skull, our statistical average skull, and worst match skull was 0.58, 0.74, and 4.4 mm, respectively.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusions:</title> <p>The ability to statistically average craniofacial surface topography will be a valuable instrument for deriving missing anatomy in complex craniofacial defects and deficiencies as well as in evaluating morphologic results of surgery.</p> </sec> </abstract>